Mets' Drew Smith undergoes right elbow surgery with internal brace
Mets reliever Drew Smith underwent right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery with internal brace augmentation on Friday with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, the team announced.
Smith, who will turn 31 in September, had an MRI on June 28 that showed “significant ligament damage.”
The procedure was Tommy John surgery with the internal brace as well, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo clarified. The expected recovery is the traditional 12-18 month timeline, not the shorter recovery timeline of someone who only received the internal brace.
Smith is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, as he discussed his unclear future with the club after finding out about the injury last month.
"This really stings," he said. "It sucks man, this will be my second one. I’ve been with the Mets for a long time and I love this organization, they’ve done a lot for me over the years.
"Going into free agency, it’s a tough time for this to happen, but there's never a good time for this to happen. I loved my time here, I don't know if it's over obviously but it could be, and it just sucks to see it end like this."
Over six seasons with the Mets, Smith owns a 12-13 record in 191 games and 196.1 IP with a 3.48 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 202 strikeouts.
