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Update: Matz reportedly complained about an issue regarding his side, but the Mets didn't think it was enough to shut him down.
Kind of amazing Mets let him make that start at Dodger Stadium after he complained about issue after first start.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) July 10, 2015
Steven Matz was diagnosed with a partial tear of a lat muscle.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) July 10, 2015
This is seemingly becoming a running theme with the Mets. There was a report earlier this year that despite chronic pain in Zack Wheeler's right elbow during the 2014 season, the Mets cleared him to keep pitching. While he was originally diagnosed with inflammation of the tendon, it was later revealed to actually be "a little bit torn".
Original story: Steven Matz is apparently dealing with a sore lat muscle, which will cause him to be sidelined for at least a few weeks, according to Andy Martino of NY Daily News. It's unclear if the Mets will go back to a five-man rotation for the interim, but that seems likely considering it was Matz who forced the issue.
In 13.2 innings in his major league career, Matz has a K/9 of 9.22, a BB/9 of 3.29, and a pristine ERA of 1.32. His peripherals weren't as pretty however, but with less than 15 innings of work, it's far too soon to draw any conclusions about his long-term future. He's had excellent success with the Mets minor league affiliates, and was slated for roughly 80 innings with the big league club.
This is obviously unwelcome news for New York, but it likely won't affect any of their plans for the trade deadline, or their overall success as a team. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard will still be anchoring the rotation, with Bartolo Colon and Jon Niese picking up the backend. What the Mets truly need is a retooled offense, as David Wright has no timetable for his return, and Michael Cuddyer's knee is still giving him trouble.