New York Mets Injury Updates: James McCann, Starling Marte

A very tough break for the Mets' starting catcher.

James McCann, who just returned from the IL on June 24 after a six-week stay, landed back on the shelf with an oblique injury.

According to manager Buck Showalter, McCann will be out longer than the 10-day minimum, which was determined after the team received his MRI results on Sunday.

Tomas Nido will re-take primary catching duties, while Patrick Mazeika has returned to back him up.

McCann suffered a broken hamate bone in mid-May, which required surgery. While he recovered swiftly to return in a little over a month, he is now dealing with a new injury that could sideline him for a similar period of time.

As for right fielder Starling Marte (left groin tightness), the Mets are still awaiting his imaging results, before making a decision on whether he will require an IL stint. Marte has been one of the Mets' hottest hitters as of late.

While he is currently active for the Mets’ Sunday afternoon game against the Miami Marlins, the team will provide an update/decision on him in the near future.

Marte's injury comes with poor timing, as Jeff McNeil is expected to land on the paternity list after Sunday's game, with the birth of his first child looming.

The Mets begin a crucial three-game series on Monday with the red-hot NL East rival Atlanta Braves. They could potentially be without two of their best hitters in McNeil and Marte for this series.

- Mets' Jacob deGrom Expected to Make 3rd Rehab Start for Triple-A Syracuse

- Keith Hernandez Further Ingrained in Mets' History With Jersey Retirement

- Rival Teams View Trey Mancini as Mets' 'Top Option' Ahead of Trade Deadline

Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Read More: