The New York Mets can’t seem to catch a break. They received crushing news this week: both Tylor Megill and Reed Garrett are facing the likelihood of Tommy John surgery. For a club already walking a tightrope with its pitching depth, the double setback is nothing short of devastating.
Megill’s rise derailed
When Tylor Megill opened the season, he looked like a different pitcher. His fastball had extra life, his slider was sharper, and the results spoke for themselves: a sparkling 1.74 ERA through April. For a team desperately seeking consistency behind Kodai Senga, Megill’s emergence felt like the missing piece.
But baseball has a cruel way of reminding players how fragile success can be. By mid-June, Megill was sidelined with a right elbow sprain. After months of rehab, there was optimism that he might pitch again before season’s end. Instead, a flare-up in early September halted his progress and turned cautious hope into grim reality. His final line — a 3.95 ERA in 68.1 innings — tells the story of promise interrupted.
Now, with doctors recommending Tommy John surgery, Megill isn’t just looking at a lost 2025. He’s staring down the likelihood of missing all of 2026 as well.
Garrett’s setback complicates bullpen plans
Reed Garrett’s situation is equally troubling, if not more complex. The Mets leaned heavily on the right-hander early in the season, and he rewarded them with reliable innings out of the bullpen. But elbow issues first flared up in late August, sending him to the injured list. His brief September return lasted just days before more pain forced him back to the shelf.
Medical evaluations have pointed to the same dreaded outcome: Tommy John surgery. What complicates Garrett’s case is an already planned procedure to reposition a nerve in his right arm. The combination of operations makes his timeline uncertain at best. Even if Garrett were to explore alternative treatments like PRP injections, the chances of him impacting the Mets’ 2025 campaign are slim. Realistically, his road back stretches into 2027.
What it means for the Mets
For an organization that’s been trying to secure its place in the postseason, losing two right-handers of this caliber is a serious blow. Megill, at 30, was carving out a role as a mid-rotation stabilizer. Garrett, at 32, had become a dependable bullpen option in high-leverage spots. Now both are out of the picture for the foreseeable future.
The timing couldn’t be worse. The Mets have been relying on a mix of young arms and veteran stopgaps to keep the rotation afloat. Losing Megill, who was supposed to come back this month, not only thins out the immediate depth but also forces the front office to rethink its 2026 plans, when he was projected to be a key piece. As for Garrett, bullpen stability is already one of the hardest things to maintain year over year — and his absence adds another layer of uncertainty.
The harsh reality of pitching
Tommy John surgery has become almost a rite of passage for modern pitchers, but that doesn’t make the news any easier to swallow. For the Mets, it feels like two dominos falling at once, each reshaping the roster and the long-term outlook.
Baseball seasons often turn on moments like these. A team can withstand a few cracks in the foundation, but when two pillars collapse, the structure itself is tested. For the Mets, Megill and Garrett’s injuries are a reminder that no amount of planning can fully protect a pitching staff from the game’s cruelest truth: elbows aren’t built to last forever.
And now, the Mets must regroup — without two of the arms they were counting on to carry the load.
