New York Mets starter undergoes Tommy John surgery

New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill underwent Tommy John surgery Monday, putting his 2026 season in doubt.

May 21, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill (38) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill has a lengthy recovery ahead.

Before Tuesday night’s game at Wrigley Field, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery on Monday. Mendoza was unsure whether Megill had the standard procedure or the internal brace version, which often has a quicker recovery timeline. Either way, the odds of him returning in 2026 are slim.

Carlos Mendoza says that Tylor Megill had Tommy John Surgery yesterday: pic.twitter.com/L9WQYxrjaf

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 23, 2025

Megill, 30, was shut down from throwing on Sept. 8, one day after completing his sixth minor league rehab start. He had been on the injured list since June 17 with a right elbow sprain.

Before his injury, Megill made 14 starts, going 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and a career-best 11.7 K/9 rate across 68.1 frames. The 6-foot-7 righty began his rehab assignment with three consecutive scoreless outings in mid-August but struggled in subsequent starts, raising his ERA to 6.60 over 20 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

In what was expected to be his final rehab appearance earlier this month, Megill was pulled after recording just six outs on 67 pitches. He allowed five runs on four hits with two walks and two hit batters while striking out three in two-plus innings, and reportedly felt arm tightness while throwing secondary pitches — leading to imaging tests.

Tylor Megill's 8th, 9th and 10th Ks. pic.twitter.com/Zvyv5M51sg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 22, 2025

The veteran starter has thrown 409.2 innings for the Mets over the past five seasons, posting a 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 rate. He has been shuttled between Triple-A and the majors multiple times during his career, leaving him with only one remaining minor league option.

Megill is under team control for two more seasons, but his $1.975 million salary this year makes him a potential non-tender candidate. There is no injured list between the World Series and the start of spring training, meaning that if the Mets plan to keep paying him and stash him on the 60-day IL for 2027 once the season begins, he would have to take up a 40-man roster spot all winter.

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New York already lost veteran right-handers Griffin Canning (ruptured left Achilles tendon) in late June and Frankie Montas (right elbow UCL) in late August. Now, the loss of Megill leaves them even more shorthanded on experienced rotation depth for the rest of 2025 and beyond.

The Mets are now counting on a trio of top prospects — Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat — to help anchor their rotation the rest of the way. They entered Tuesday on the wrong side of a tiebreaker with the Cincinnati Reds for the third NL wild card spot, meaning they will need outside help to reach the postseason.