Mets’ Steven Matz to have season-ending elbow surgery again

Update: Mets starter Steven Matz has been diagnosed with irritation of the ulnar nerve in his left elbow and will have surgery to reposition it, the team announced Monday night. The surgery will be scheduled in the next few days, which will force him to be put on the disabled list and end his 2017 season.

Original: Mets starter Steven Matz has been scratched from his Tuesday start and is likely headed to the disabled list for the second time this season, New York manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Mike Puma of the New York Post, on Monday.

After a rookie campaign in which he went 9-8 with a 3.40 ERA in 22 starts, Matz began the season on the DL with elbow discomfort and didn’t take the mound for the Mets until June 10. When he returned, Matz struggled mightily, going 2-7 with a 6.08 ERA in 13 starts, including an 0-6 mark with a 10.19 ERA since July 9.

A possible explanation for his bad performances this time could be that he has a possible ulnar nerve issue in his left elbow that could require season-ending surgery, a source told Puma. Puma noted that Mets starter Jacob deGrom experienced this type of dip in performance last year before he underwent ulnar nerve surgery in his right elbow. However, the Mets have not announced the any specifics as to what Matz’s is, but Collins told reporters that the medical staff gave Matz a shot that requires him to rest for at least 48 hours.

Matz’s DL stint will be the fourth one for him in his career. He was placed on the DL in July 2015 after discovering a partial tear of his left later muscle following his sixth start of the season and was on it in August 2016 after having a bone spur in his left elbow, which he had surgery to remove it in October.

The Mets are 54-68 on the year and are in fourth in the NL East. They hope Matz, along with ailing starters Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Seth Lugo, can fully recover from their injuries in order to contend in 2018.