BRONX, NY — New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott will be shut down for two weeks and is expected to be ramped up after that, manager Carlos Mendoza revealed on Wednesday before his team’s series finale against the Yankees.
Mendoza called it “relatively good news,” even going as far as saying he was “relieved,” about this initial timetable. Scott was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 22, on Tuesday with a sprained UCL.
“It’s not the worst-case scenario, which is awesome,” Scott said on Wednesday. “It’s a sigh of relief for now… The team has done a really good job of testing me out, sending me to imaging, and talking to some doctors and our training staff. I feel comfortable in the position we are in right now.”
An MRI on Tuesday revealed the extent of the injury but the Mets pursued multiple opinions on the injury, prompting Mendoza shortly after the results came down on Tuesday to share that “there’s always fear [of surgery].“
“Every time you send a pitcher for an MRI because he complains about an elbow, you never know what you’re going to get,” Mendoza said after getting the good news on the 25-year-old right-hander.
Scott initially felt discomfort in his pitching arm after his start on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. When the pain did not go away, the Mets sent him out to get imaging.
The initial expectation is that Scott will return to the mound in the majors this season — a rookie year that has seen him go 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA.
“Obviously, we have to wait the next two weeks and see how he progresses when we start building back up,” Mendoza said. “But from what I was told talking to the trainers and even with Scotty, we feel pretty good that he’ll be back here.”
While the Mets still plan on instituting a six-man rotation once Kodai Senga makes his season debut on Friday, there is no indication as of yet about who will slot in for Scott on Saturday. Jose Butto remains the favorite, but that could change if Mendoza needs him out of the bullpen.
For more on Christian Scott and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
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