Mets Reliever Brooks Raley to Undergo Tommy John Surgery

One of the Mets' best relievers will be out for the rest of the season.

Mar 31, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Brooks Raley (25) pitches in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets will have to go the rest of the 2024 season without a crucial piece to their bullpen.

Left-hander Brooks Raley, who was placed on the injured list back in April with elbow inflammation, will undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season after just eight appearances. Beat writer Tim Healey of Newsday was the first to report.

News: Brooks Raley will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next week, a source told Newsday. https://t.co/LbERV2nwRj

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) May 21, 2024

Raley will conclude his season with two hits and no runs allowed in seven innings. He struck out nine batters while walking just three.

A free agent after the season, the 35-year-old southpaw may have pitched his last game in a Mets uniform. Acquired by the Mets in December 2022 from a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, he pitched in 66 games during the 2023 season and logged a 2.80 ERA with 61 strikeouts against 25 walks. This led the Mets to pick up their team option on Raley, giving him a salary of $6.5 million for 2024.

Raley's injury is a devastating blow to the Mets' bullpen, which looked strong in the early going but has shown consistency issues lately. The loss of Raley also exacerbates the lack of left-handed relievers in the bullpen, as the only lefties currently available are Jake Diekman and Josh Walker; Diekman has control issues with a 1.28 WHIP, while Walker is a 29-year-old with only 17 innings pitched at the major league level.

The Mets are currently 21-26 and are 2.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot. With Raley out for the season, a left-handed reliever is now on the team's wish list if they want to compete for a playoff spot down the stretch.