3:40pm: Canning underwent surgery this morning, Mendoza tells reporters (via Laura Albanese of Newsday). Tidwell is indeed available out of the bullpen tonight, but the plan moving forward will eventually be for him to step into Canning’s rotation spot.
2:32pm: The Mets announced that right-hander Griffin Canning has been placed on the 60-day injured list with a ruptured left Achilles. They also optioned right-hander Austin Warren and infielder Jared Young. To fill those three spots, infielder Mark Vientos has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, righty Blade Tidwell has been recalled and left-hander Colin Poche has been selected to the roster. The Mets added that lefty Richard Lovelady, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, has cleared waivers and elected free agency. Outfielder Jose Azocar, who recently elected free agency himself, has been re-signed to a new minor league deal.
The Canning news is devastating but not surprising. He had to be helped off the field last night, clearly unable to put weight on his left leg. It immediately appeared to be an Achilles injury and manager Carlos Mendoza admitted after the game that the club suspected as much.
The Mets haven’t yet relayed an expected timeline but it’s fair to conclude Canning’s season is over. An injury like this can often take a full year to recover from. Given that half the 2025 season is already in the books, Canning is surely going to miss the remainder and likely part of the 2026 campaign as well.
It’s a terrible break for the 29-year-old Canning, a former second-round pick and top prospect with the Angels. He’d looked on the cusp of establishing himself as a regular rotation member in Anaheim back in 2019-20 before a stress reaction in his back wiped out most of his 2021 season and all of his 2022 campaign. He returned with solid numbers in 2023 before crashing with a 5.19 ERA in 31 starts last season. The Halos traded him to the Braves for Jorge Soler in a swap of unwanted salaries following the 2024 season, and Atlanta ultimately non-tendered him.
The Mets brought a fresh start for Canning, and he looked to be taking full advantage. The right-hander has started 16 games and pitched 76 1/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball, fanning 21.3% of his opponents with a huge 50.9% grounder rate — albeit against a less-encouraging 10.7% walk rate. Canning was terrific up through early June (2.90 ERA) but in the three starts prior to his injury had been tagged for 13 runs in 14 1/3 frames.
Even with that rough stretch, Canning looked well on his way to positioning himself for a nice multi-year deal on the open market. He could still command a two-year deal, in theory, but it’d be small in scale with a backloaded salary structure to reflect the uncertainty surrounding the first year of his contract — similar to the one former Angels rotation-mate Patrick Sandoval signed with the Red Sox.
As for the rest of the Mets’ transactions, a couple were expected. Vientos said yesterday that he was told he’d be activated today. He’ll return after a nearly monthlong absence due to a hamstring strain and hope to get back on track. The 26-year-old broke out with a .266/.322/.516 batting line (133 wRC+) and 27 home runs in just 111 games last year, seemingly cementing himself as a fixture at one of the infield corners for years to come.
That may still be the case, but Vientos hasn’t looked the part so far in 2025, slashing just .230/.298/.380. He’s actually cut his strikeout rate and improved his walk rate while continuing to hit the ball hard, however, creating good reason to be optimistic about a turnaround. The Mets have been waiting for some combination of their long-vaunted quartet of infielders — Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña — to seize spots around the infield, and that’s yet to happen. A return to form for Vientos would be a step in that direction and a boon for a Mets lineup that has struggled in recent weeks.
Tidwell was reported to be joining the Mets last night as well. The Mets’ second-round pick in 2022, he’s regarded as one of the system’s most promising young arms. His two starts earlier this year didn’t go well (eight runs in 7 1/3 innings), and the 24-year-old is coming off a tough start in Triple-A, where he served up six runs to the Yankees’ top affiliate. Prior to that ugly outing, he’d rattled off a 3.55 ERA with a 28.9% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate in 45 2/3 innings across eight starts. He’ll be in the bullpen for now, per SNY’s Andy Martino, which makes sense with David Peterson, Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas lined up for weekend starts against the Pirates and an off-day on Monday.
Poche, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets back in May. He opened the season with the division-rival Nationals but was rocked for 11 runs in 8 2/3 innings before being cut loose. The Mets themselves contributed to that damage, tagging him for a run in two-thirds of an inning during a late-April meeting.
Ugly as that brief stint was, Poche had a nice track record in four prior seasons with the Rays, pitching to a combined 3.63 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate in 208 1/3 innings. Since signing with the Mets, he’s pitched 12 2/3 innings down in Syracuse, logging a 4.26 ERA with an uncharacteristic and alarming 17.9% walk rate.
If Lovelady’s tenure with the Mets is any sort of indication, it could be a brief stay on the big league roster for Poche. The 29-year-old opted out of a minor league deal with the Twins earlier this month, signed a big league deal with the Mets and was designated for assignment after just one appearance (two runs in 1 2/3 innings). Lovelady was excellent in Triple-A with Minnesota and has a nice track record at that level. He’s shown consistent ability to generate grounders, miss bats and limit walks at passable levels, but he’s struggled with men on base in the majors and limped to a 5.35 ERA in 102 2/3 innings across parts of six seasons.
Azocar, also 29, appeared in a dozen games with the Mets earlier this year and hit .278/.350/.278 in 20 plate appearances. He’s a righty-swinging, glove-first outfielder with good speed who can handle left, center and right on any given day. The former Padre is a career .244/.290/.319 hitter in 418 major league plate appearances.
What is the typical return window for ruptured Achilles tendon?
6 to 12 months with surgery…
Generally closer to the 12 months
The time is now to make Pittsburgh a God Father offer for Skenes.
So wait..are you saying you value canning so much that you need to mortgage everything to replace him?..nothing against the Mets or Canning but if Canning is the lynchpin of the season yer cooked anyway
All this talk of cooking and canning has worked up an appetite.
The Pirates aren’t trading Skenes.
Yeah, maybe Skenes can start for NY against Pittsburgh tomorrow night!
Skenes isn’t available, and even if he was, dealing four or maybe even five top prospects for a starting pitcher isn’t exactly Stearns’ style.
Paul Skenes for a severed horse head? That hardly seems like a reasonable return on MLB’s best young pitching talent.
Alcantara is a better option. Has been pitching very well his last few starts and Marlins would love to deal him. Will cost a little but of ralent – not half the farm system.
Fail Troll.
❤️
A year
Soroka was 12 months.
It seems to be happening more frequently to NBA players and it has generally been 12 months as well.
I wouldn’t expect him return until after the All-Star break next season.
Ryan Howard was never really right after tearing his.
Most unfortunate news.
Well he did what he was brought in for. He stepped in and did a good job for half a season. Hope he fully recovers.
Maybe the Mets sign him back on a cheap one year deal for 2026.
I can’t remember another pitcher tearing his Achilles. Athletes take a year to recover. Maybe longer for a pitcher. Leg one year, plus 2 months to build up arm strength
Mike Soroka
bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=michael+s…
Mike Soroka did it twice
@EM41
To be fair he only did it once playing in a game. The 2nd time he was walking in the parking lot I believe
Wainwright
Soroka ×2
Gallardo
@bob1980
Iirc wanio was out for 12 months and I believe he was 35+, tbh when I saw that happen thought it was his career, glad I was wrong.
Awful news.
Poor Mets, they’ll never escape being the Yankees little brother
Muted
Quintana and Payamps for Baty and Ronny. Get it done
The Mets would regret that one in the long run.
You must be kidding.
When Quintana was available in February, after Montas and Manaea got hurt, for 1/4m?
If you want to trade kids headed for 2 bWAR and 1bWAR respectively, for a reliever with an 8.35 ERA, you deserve to be Muted.
Any FO trading young guys with useful current talent levels for effectively nothing, to paper over past blunders by the same FO, deserves to be shot. To check out how quickly the drop off is from even struggling players like Baty and Mauricio, enjoy the next 300 PAs from Jared Young and Jose Azocar.
Remember early June ago when the Mets had the best rotation in baseball?
Early success in baseball is almost meaningless if not sustained.
The early games count just as much in the final standings as the later ones.
It’s meaningful for as long as it lasts.
Canning was a nice surprise for a franchise that was only asking for him to be a long guy out of the pen. Injuries forced him in to the rotation and he did an admirable job.
But don’t get it twisted, the Mets were never going to rely on Canning to be in a playoff rotation.
Manaea
Senga
Holmes
Peterson
That will be the playoff rotation baring any other injuries or trade for a TOR starter.
Roki Sasaki for the Mets top 3 prospects.
Who says no?
I think most of us would ay no. You do mean that guy who is still on the IL himself, and was not even pitching well before he got hurt? How does he help us in the here and now?
As a Mets fan, I agree with geofft. No thanks on that package. At this point, their top three prospects are probably Jett Williams and two of either Sproat, Tong, or McLean. I’d rather have those three guys.
Yes. but thats not even the point. It was a peanut-gallery level suggestion. Technically, Sasaki’s 60-day IL assignment takes him up to the All-star break. In practical terms, he’ll be out even longer (still playing catch, hasn’t started a rehab assignment yet).
By that time Manaea should be back, and Senga should be very close. So what need does Sasaki fill? There are greater needs on which to spend that type of prospect capital, if the Mets even spend it at all.
And why would the Mets and Dodgers trade with each other when both are contending?
That’s to bad, his only other decent start to a season got cut short to. But yeah, he’s not more than a long relief guy and spot starter at this point. This isn’t anything big here for a Mets loss that is. Sucks for Canning thou.
Ugh. Just tore my Achilles this week and it’s not a complete rupture, but still painful and limiting and I’m not an athlete who will have to push the rehab all out on a limited window career timeline. My sympathies are with him.
Oh no, Dicky’s gone! Azocar was actually a Brave for a few weeks between his previous stint with the Mets and his resigning.
Enough building with existing pieces. Either trade prospects now to upgrade the team or sell and acquire more prospects. Sitting tight with current minor league prospects and early career players isn’t a good option.
Trevor Bauer
Trevor Bauer isn’t even the third best pitcher on Yokohama. He’s old, he’s nowhere near the pitcher he once was, everyone hates playing with him, and he comes with baggage. It’s over for Bauer in MLB.
Are you quite certain that everyone hates playing with him?
come on Joel… don’t you know? all these writers are professional scouts and MLB staff. they know all. God help us if someone that’s a fan like you and I possibly put a post up and try to generate a calm enjoyable conversation only to be let down by fools who knows better.
@Joel: Enough people have hated playing with him that I, a casual fan, have heard plenty of stories about it.
Also, it’s moot because he sucks so much now that Yokohama just released him. So you can stop slobbering his knob and defending him. He’s cooked.
Well jmaggio76, looks like this ‘fool who knows better’ actually DOES know better than you because Yokohama just released him because he’s sucked so much this year. So keep bringing that washed up buffoon up as a possibility for MLB teams because it makes *you* look like a fool.
I believe CWS wanted Tidwell in a trade for Luis Robert. I’d make that swap once Manaea gets healthy to fill the rotation.
Robert has been awful for a year and a half now. No thanks.
He has, overall. And I am no Luis Robert fan by any stretch. But he has hit lefties very well this year. Playing him in those spots would not only be an improvement on those days, but it might be just enough of a break to help Taylor get back on track. Plus, Robert is a good defender and has good speed and athleticism off the bench on those days that he does not play.
Tidwell is looking very expendable right now. He might be even more expendable if Tong had been promoted a few weeks ago and continued to flourish in AAA. But we’ll never know.
Doesn’t make sense. Robert’s career looks just about over, and trying to turn him around in the middle of a postseason chase doesn’t make sense as he’s significantly worse this year than Tyrone Taylor.
If you’re going to deal a promising player like Tidwell, you might as well package him with other young players and get a real upgrade at a position of need, not a reclamation project who hasn’t hit in two years at a position where he’s currently a 2 bWAR downgrade over what you have on the roster—and at 15m this year and 20m next year if you want to pointlessly flip a coin in one of those “heads you break even, tails you lose” contracts.
The White Sox aren’t going to pay him the 18m difference in 2026 bt his club option and the 2m buyout, so he’ll pick up a small, make good contract for a team that doesn’t have anything in CF—it might be the biggest FA signing the Pirates make, something like 1/5m.
This just became a moot point, as Robert just landed on the IL with a hammy strain. But let’s hash it out, anyway: I’ll start by saying I’m not advocating this trade. But its not senseless either: To say it “doesn’t make sense as he’s significantly worse this year than Tyrone Taylor” is not really that accurate, and also too linear a view. Robert is hitting lefties hard, and would not be here to replace Taylor, but to supplement him. But the basic numbers:
Taylor OPS .596, OPS+ 72. Robert OPS .584, OPS+ 65.
OPS vs RH: Taylor .620, Robert .496; vs LH: Taylor .510, Robert .870
So basically, a slight difference, not a significant one, overall. But Robert’s numbers are being weighed down by miserable hitting against RHers, while hitting lefties very well – significantly better than Taylor. And we’ve seen this from Taylor before. He plays very well in a time share. As a starter, he plays well for a stretch, but eventually slows down and needs to be supplemented.
Playing the two together could benefit both players and the club greatly. If Robert can continue to hit lefties at that pace, and Taylor can get back to his career norms of low .700s against righties, it takes a current hole in the batting order and turns it into a productive spot. Thus lengthening the line-up and deepening the bench. It also provides a bit of relief for Nimmo should his foot/leg issues need a break.
As for the cost, that is the nature of these contender/rebuilder deals. We don’t know how long it might be before Tidwell finally pans out, and there are other pitchers in the pipeline. This makes the overpay acceptable. And with Robert’s injury probably keeping him out until close to the deadline, the price could go down. Or past the deadline, then no trade.
Michael Soroka tore his achilles then tore it a second time, missed 2-1/2 years and hasn’t been the same. Hopefully Canning won’t be so unlucky.
Tidwell, Really? How about giving Sproat his chance! Montas has made a case that stats in our AAA mean little and besides that Sproats has been doing good as of late.
No, Sproat has not been doing well as of late. He did well for a few games in late April/early May. Since then. opponents’ OPS against him have been .803 for the month of May, and .833 in June. His strike out rate has plummeted this year, while his walk rate has improved slightly, but remains high. Calling him up would mean using one of his options this year, when the injured pitchers return, and another one next spring. You still have NO idea how long it will take him to stick in the majors. Spending those options this early could result in running out of them before he is ready.
If you’d suggested McLean, you might have a case.
“Ugly as that brief stint was” is not proper English. You can’t leave “as” out at the beginning of the sentence—it isn’t optional.