Steven Matz (SB Nation)

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: Steven Matz is going on the disabled list. Oh, you have? Great! Grand! Wonderful!

The Mets announced that the 26-year old pitcher was diagnosed with irritation of the ulnar nerve in his left elbow. No date has been made yet, but surgery is required to “reposition the nerve and eliminate the irritation”, according to a press release by the Mets.

Matz was 2-7 this season with a 6.08 ERA in 13 starts. Once considered the future of the team, Matz’s career has been derailed by injuries. He was suffering from left elbow issues that kept him out until June. In his last eight starts, his record is 0-6 with a 10.19 ERA. In three seasons for New York, Matz has a 15-15 record with a 3.99 ERA. After debuting in 2015, he immediately went on the DL. He also had surgery in the 2016 season, halting what could have been a career year.

It was reported that he would not confess that his elbow would swell up after starts. The problem? The swelling was the size of a grapefruit. Information like that is crucial to a staff that is already struggling to keep players healthy. Like Matz’s injuries, medical mistakes seem to be a common theme for the team.

The hope is that Matz will be ready for the 2018 season. Jacob deGrom had a similar procedure done, but nothing is for sure when it comes to the Mets. While he has shown signs of greatness, Mets fans can only wonder what his true potential could be if he just stayed healthy.