Potential New York Mets Trade Target Dealing With Elbow Pain

A potential New York Mets trade target is dealing with elbow pain and was scratched from his start on Friday.

The New York Mets have played better than expected this season, currently 13-11. After an offseason that saw Steve Cohen take a different approach to what the fanbase is used to, the Mets likely aren't going to win a World Series or be buyers at the deadline.

However, Cohen does plan to spend money in the 2024-25 offseason, which could make them a team that adds a piece or two at the deadline if the right trade comes up. Factor in that New York could be in the mix for a postseason bid around July and adding pitching, at the very least, could be a good idea for them.

One of the potential trade candidates the Mets have been linked to is Jesus Luzardo, a left-handed pitcher for the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are in the same division as New York, but if Cohen's willing to move prospects they're interested in, a deal is always possible.

Luzardo, 26-years-old, has had a rough start to the season. He's allowed 19 earned runs in 26.0 innings pitched, good for an ERA of 6.58. His inability to keep the ball in the yard has been a major issue, allowing five home runs in his first five starts.

While he struggled at times in the early stages of his career, he posted sub-3.60 ERA seasons in 2022 and 2023, indicating he was going to be the pitcher everyone expected him to be when he entered the league.

Luzardo's struggles might finally have a reason, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that he was scratched from Friday's start and will undergo testing for elbow discomfort.

Major League Baseball has dealt with plenty of injuries this season to high-level arms, so hopefully Luzardo isn't the latest case of that.

With the position the Mets are in, trading for an arm that could have elbow issues, even if testing comes back clean, could be a bad decision.

Elbow injuries aren't anything to mess with and unless he can come back and show his dominance with no elbow problems in all of his starts before the deadline, it's likely better for the front office to let someone else make the trade.