Tommy Hunter's injury adds to the Mets' list of inactive players. (Aaron Gash, AP)
MILWAUKEE — The injuries are starting to pile up for the Mets only five games into the 2023 season. Right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with back spasms and third base prospect Brett Baty was removed from a Triple-A Syracuse game with right thumb soreness and will undergo imaging Wednesday.
Baty underwent ulnar collateral ligament surgery on his right thumb last August. It’s not yet known if the past injury contributed to this one.
Baty had a monster weekend at the plate, going 5-for-14 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored in three games while the Mets got very little production at third base from Eduardo Escobar. However, there isn’t a high level of concern within the Major League clubhouse right now, especially since the Mets are content to let Baty mature and get reps at third base in Triple-A this season.
“I’m more concerned about our team right now,” manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday at American Family Field before the Mets faced the Milwaukee Brewers. “I don’t know enough about it right now, but I heard he finished the inning and ran the bases. We’ll take that. It is what it is. Baseball players play the game, play hard and injuries happen.”
The 36-year-old Hunter has had several back surgeries since 2016 when he fell on some steps and fractured his back in an attempt to protect his young son he was holding at the time. He estimates he’s had around eight or nine back operations and had six herniated disks in his back at one point. Spasms are something he has to manage and he was sidelined by them last season as well.
Hunter pitched two innings in the Mets’ 10-0 loss to the Brewers on Monday, getting tagged for five earned runs in the fifth inning, including a grand slam by rookie Brice Turang. He settled down and pitched a scoreless sixth, but the spasms began after the game.
“It comes and goes and it happened a few times last year,” Hunter said. “It sucks, but I’ll be back. It just takes a few days and they usually go away, but you can’t be down a guy for a couple days.”
Hunter will take a few days off from throwing before resuming work. The spasms typically go away with rest and muscle relaxers and he doesn’t want to fall behind and have to build up his arm again.
“I’ll take a couple days and then go light,” Hunter said. “I’ve got to stay in a routine as much as I can and hopefully be ready.”
Right-hander Denyi Reyes was called up from Triple-A to take Hunter’s place in the bullpen. He’s stretched out as a starter and rested so the Mets can use him to go as many innings as necessary Tuesday or Wednesday against the Brewers.
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Originally published at Tribune News Service