Mets third baseman J.D. Davis to undergo hand surgery; Mets lose season finale to Braves
ATLANTA – J.D. Davis’ third — and perhaps final — season with the Mets will end in left hand surgery.
The Mets third baseman will undergo a procedure to repair a torn ligament in his left hand on Tuesday morning in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Thomas Graham will perform the operation.
“I’ve always said it kind of bothered me here and there, it would flare up. I tried to gut it out,” Davis said. “The team needed me, and I just tried to play games under the circumstances.”
His hand had bothered him all season and caused him to go on the injury list multiple times. The right-handed hitter still produced when he was healthy enough to be in the lineup, slashing .285/.384/.436 with five home runs – tied for 12th-most on the Mets with Billy McKinney – and a .820 OPS in 73 games.
On April 6, the second Mets game of the year, Davis was drilled on his left hand by a Chase Anderson sinker in his first at-bat of the game. His hand immediately swelled up, and though initial X-rays came back negative, he was placed on the IL a few days later with what the Mets called a left-hand contusion.
“I had no problem swinging after I got hit, but it was definitely a lump in my hand, a little bit of swelling that was suggested wouldn’t be an issue,” he said.
That first IL stint was a short one for Davis. He joined the active roster a week later and stuck around until May. He went on the IL again on May 3, this time taking his time with a ramp up that included rehab assignments, while paying closer attention to the nagging pain in his hand. Davis finally returned to the Mets in July after the All-Star break. He hoped he could return to form in the second half, but the injury never went away. His playing time significantly decreased as the 2021 season wrapped up.
Davis found out his hand required surgery a couple of weeks ago. So, what’s next for the third baseman?
Given the changes expected to take place this offseason within the Mets organization after the club missed the playoffs for the 17th time in the past 20 years, Davis is not so sure he will still be on the team next year.
“It’s kind of 50/50, kind of a flip of the coin,” Davis said of whether he could be a trade target. “I know there’s going to be plenty of changes up and down from the front office all the way down to here. My gut feeling? I could be out of here. That’s what it’s kind of leaning towards. But there’s a possibility that I could come back. I love New York. I love the fans. I love the city. It’s a flip of the coin.”
Davis earned $2.1 million in 2021 as a first-time arbitration player and is under team control for three more years. If the designated hitter comes to the National League next season, Davis is a good fit to slide into that role, given his shaky defense at third base. But the Mets also have Dominic Smith and Robinson Cano to consider for the DH, and it’s possible the club would rather trade Davis for win-now talent.
Though there are several factors that could impact Davis’ future on the club, he said his hand post-surgery is not expected to be one of them. He expects to go through a normal offseason in terms of his routine and clearance after that ligament in his left hand is repaired.
NOAH GIVES UP RUNS; METS LOSE SEASON FINALE
Noah Syndergaard struggled with his command in the Mets’ 5-0 loss to the Braves on Sunday afternoon in their season finale.
The right-hander left an 0-1 sinker over the plate for leadoff batter Jorge Soler to demolish over the left-field wall. Syndergaard allowed two more hits, an Ozzie Albie double and an Austin Riley RBI single, before his 16-pitch, one-inning affair ended with the Braves up 2-0.
Syndergaard fared much better in his first start of the year, last Tuesday against the Marlins. His clean inning — strikeout, strikeout, groundout — gave him optimism in his limited arsenal. Syndergaard was advised by his doctors that, as he continues to ramp up from his Tommy John surgery, he should remove his slider and curveball from his pitch mix. It was evident on Sunday that he is less effective without his nasty slider.
The Mets ended their agonizing season with their 13th shutout loss of the year. The offense stayed true to its uninspired identity, collecting just three hits against six Atlanta pitchers in nine innings.
The Amazin’s finished their disappointing season with a 77-85 record and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
