The baseball gods delivered another cruel blow to the New York Mets yesterday when outfielder Michael Conforto went down with a dislocated shoulder. The injury occurred on the most routine action in the game, a simple swing, and it effectively ended Conforto’s breakout campaign with just over five weeks left in the regular season. A simple dislocated shoulder is bad enough for Conforto, but the Mets aren’t going anywhere this year so the loss of their best player won’t hurt as much as it could have. The scary news for the Mets came later, when MRI results revealed that Conforto had also suffered a torn posterior capsule in that same shoulder, an injury that could impact him next season if not treated properly.
The Mets said in a press release that all options are on the table for Conforto, including season ending surgery. MetsBlog’s Matt Cerrone notes that some physical therapists and doctors he talked to speculated that Conforto could be in line for a 3-6 month rehab for his injury, which would sideline him until February at the worst case. The fly in the ointment could be that capsule injury, as well as whatever else could be discovered during further medical tests. Conforto’s capsule injury is extremely rare, and the closest comparison for what that involves may be found with Atlanta Braves’ outfielder Matt Kemp. Kemp, then with the Los Angeles Dodgers, underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a similar shoulder injury after the 2012 season. While the offseason procedure allowed Kemp to be ready for the start of 2013, Kemp didn’t look the same, struggling at the beginning of the year and never coming close to the 2.5 WAR he posted the previous season. Kemp has bounced around since then, posting solid numbers but failing to recapture the elite form he displayed in 2011 and 2012.
This would be a nightmare scenario for the Mets, who have been counting on Conforto to be an elite hitter in their lineup for years to come. Shoulder injuries are tough to deal with for hitters since pain in that area could alter their swings to compensate, taking them out of their proper mechanics and leading to slumps. Until the Mets see Conforto swing the bat again, they need to plan for the scenario where he isn’t 100% to start the season. There are possibilities where Conforto wouldn’t be ready to start next season, and the Mets can’t afford to start the season with Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares manning two outfield positions.
Conforto’s injury could force the Mets to re-evaluate their outfield strategy for the off season, perhaps to invest heavily in a free agent slugger like Jay Bruce or J.D. Martinez. While there are players out there that can help the Mets next season, they need to make sure they do their best to get Conforto right. If Conforto’s career trajectory is thwarted by this injury the Mets will have a major problem on their hands.
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