Manager Buck Showalter #11 of the New York Mets looks on from the dugout against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the seventh inning at RingCentral Coliseum on September 23, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Mets pitcher Bryce Montes de Oca is undergoing surgery for his elbow that will sideline him for at least four months.
New York Mets reliever Bryce Montes de Oca will need to undergo surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow, according to a report from Russell Dorsey. This latest news doesn’t bode well for the club’s pitching depth as Montes De Oca likely won’t be back to full health until August at the earliest with his exact recovery timeline still unclear.
The right-hander was enjoying a solid Spring Training prior to getting shut down on March 13 due to elbow issues.
His injury at the time ruled him out of a potential season-opening reliever spot, but now, Montes de Oca will only be able to contribute to the bullpen at the end of the 2023 season.
Montes de Oca can add his bone fragments issue to his growing list of injuries so far in his career.
Mets lose relief depth with Bryce Montes de Oca going under the knife
In high school, Montes de Oca underwent Tommy John surgery, and while pitching at the University of Missouri, he underwent another elbow surgery; he’s also dealt with lung issues, knee ligaments issues, and a laminectomy and discectomy.
Despite his injury-crippled past, Montes de Oca managed to make his major league debut last season, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings.
The 2018 ninth-round pick was by no means guaranteed a bullpen spot come Opening Day and has struggled with control concerns in the past, though he did post a respectable 3.44 ERA in the minors.
New York has made quite a splash this past offseason, most recently signing Dylan Bundy to a minor league deal. In de Oca’s absence, the Mets should still be able to pad their bullpen with solid depth and maybe ease the right-hander into a relief role later in the year.