New York Mets pitcher Steven Matz will be held out of Friday's scheduled start against the San Francisco Giants due to a shoulder injury.
Continue for updates.
Matz to Miss Start with Shoulder 'Discomfort'
Friday, Aug. 19
According to ESPN.com's Adam Rubin, Matz will be replaced by Seth Lugo Friday.
Matz called the injury "discomfort" and said he is not concerned about it being a long-term issue, which means he could potentially avoid a stint on the disabled list.
Per Rubin, Matz also described how he picked up the ailment that will keep him off the mound Friday:
I was throwing on flat ground and I felt a little twinge in my shoulder. It was bothering me a little bit. And then, next day, I was throwing and I was still feeling it, so I didn't throw my bullpen, hoping it would get better. I was just kind of taking it day by day. There's some discomfort in there. I think you go through stuff all the time throughout a season, but it didn't respond the way I'd like it to.
The 25-year-old lefty is enjoying a strong season with a 9-8 record, 3.40 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 132.1 innings.
New York's playoff hopes are waning, as it enters play Friday trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by 4.5 games for the final wild-card spot in the National League.
The reigning NL champions have been ravaged by injuries for much of the year, although outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and infielder Asdrubal Cabrera are set to return from the DL in the coming days, according to Marc Carig of Newsday.
Every win is key for the Mets at this point in the season as they attempt to close a considerable gap in the standings, and being without Matz for even one turn through the rotation could go a long way toward preventing them from playing postseason baseball in 2016.
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