Best case is he's back by the end of the month. But with the Mets, you never know...
There is a part of me that would just like to write this season off to injuries; but I have no faith next season will be a whole lot different
The Mets are quickly reaching a crossroads... they need to figure out which pitching staff is real. The world series one or the current shatshow.
I think Thor, DeGrom, Wheeler, Matz (if he can stay healthy) are legit. Those 4 plus any >0 war pitcher as #5 is a pretty freaking good group of starters. Mets need to focus on getting these guys to pitch to contact instead of trying to be too perfect so that these dudes can get past 5/6 innings.
The open question is starter #5 within range of the majors right now because Harvey and Gsellman are not major league pitchers at this point in time.
The bullpen needs to be rebuilt from scratch. Reed is a great 8th inning guy, Blevins seems okay and that's all they got. I would try Robles as closer as he has the stuff... his problem is in his head. But the Mets need to spend the rest of the season trying to figure this stuff out.
The position player strategy is entirely betting on the kids doing what they are doing moving forward: I hope by the end of the year we are running out Cespedes, Conforto, Bruce, Smith, Rosario, Rivera, Darnaud, and either Walker or Cabrera at 2nd. But the Mets being the Mets I'm sure Walker, Grandy, Duda, Reyes will be there to the bitter end.
Coaching: Thank you Terry and Werthen and Long but the whole coaching and training staff needs to go bye bye this off season. Terry has pretty much comprehensively proven that he can't handle a bullpen or a pitching staff. This year, he has also shown in an inability to manage his players that seemed to be his strength the last few years. I actually like Werthen but he's going to be the sacrificial lamb for the complete implosion of the pen and the starters this year. I think Long has done some good but has done more than enough harm to outweigh any good. The homer ball strategy has gotta go... modern baseball is about getting on base and extending pitch counts.
GM: Alderson has done a great job of being in charge when the franchise recovered but the team needs new ideas to get to that next level. I believe the position player strategy has actually hurt the pitching staff because it has drastically increased the pressure innings they have had to pitch. For much of the last 3/4 years these guys know if they give up even one run the game is over. I think this is the root cause of all of the staff's problems... they have to be too perfect which causes them to run up high pitch counts.