CHICAGO — The Mets were hoping this would be the year Tylor Megill broke out and established himself as a bonafide, big league starter. Instead, the oft-injured right-hander spent most of the season on the injured list with an elbow sprain that eventually required Tommy John surgery.
Megill underwent an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction procedure in Los Angeles on Monday, ending his 2025 season and ruling him out for 2026 as well.
“You feel for the individual,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field ahead of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. “You know it’s going to be a while before he takes the mound again, but we’re wishing him a quick recovery.”
The Mets had already expected to be without him the rest of the month and into the postseason, should they manage to clinch a playoff spot this week, but this affects their pitching depth next season. Megill and Frankie Montas both will be out next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
“We’ll miss him, especially when you’re talking about the depth,” Mendoza said. “So it’s unfortunate. Our job is to now get him back on the field as quickly as possible.”
For years, the Mets have been waiting for the big righty to be able to find some consistency.
Club officials have long said he possesses the best pure stuff of almost any pitcher in the system, but a lack of command and trouble figuring out how to best use all of the pitches he throws, and when to use them, often left him fighting for a role in the starting rotation.
Megill fell into a frustrating career pattern of early-season dominance, before suffering major struggles over the summer, then he’d return in September looking like the pitcher he was in April. He owns a 10-4 career record with a 2.45 ERA in March and April, and a 3.77 ERA in September, as opposed to May (3-7, 5.76 career ERA in 15 starts) and June (4-4, 6.59 ERA in 16 starts).
His minor league options were used with some regularity, especially in 2023 when a 3.96 ERA in April ballooned to 5.17 in June, prompting the Mets to demote him to Triple-A Syracuse. That was his healthiest season. Megill made 25 starts and pitched 126 1/3 major league innings.
Across five major league seasons, Megill has made four trips to the injured list, mostly with shoulder issues that plagued him earlier in his career. The elbow injury came in June. At the time, it was believed to be minor, and the Mets expected to have him back in the rotation after the All-Star break.
Megill made six rehab starts, two with Double-A Binghamton and four with Syracuse, going scoreless through his first three. But then he started getting hit and wasn’t recovering well after outings. The Mets pulled him from his last rehab start Sept. 7 in the third inning.
The 30-year-old Long Beach, California native is the younger brother of Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Megill. Trevor is also out with an elbow injury (flexor strain) but could return this weekend.
TAYLOR EYING RETURN
Center fielder Tyrone Taylor joined the Mets in Chicago on Tuesday to test his hamstring by going through a full pregame workout. He played over the weekend with Triple-A Syracuse with no reported aggravation to the hamstring. Should he come out of the workout at full-strength, the Mets will activate him from the injured list Wednesday.
The center field situation has become dire without him. Jose Siri has only two hits since returning from a near season-long injury, and has made some costly misplays in the outfield. Cedric Mullins, acquired at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, has hit just .188 since joining the Mets.
Both were left on the bench Tuesday against the Cubs. Starling Marte got a start in left field and Brandon Nimmo, the team’s primary left fielder, moved over to center.
SENGA THROWS IN FLORIDA
Right-hander Kodai Senga threw a live batting practice session in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday afternoon, throwing about 45 pitches to minor league hitters. The Mets will meet with the right-hander to determine the next step, which could be a start this weekend against Miami. They’ll consider the reports from their own staff, as well as his own assessment.
“If he feels like he cannot go, or he’s still feeling [off mechanically], we’re not going to put him at risk,” Mendoza said. “It’s always been that way with him. He’s going to provide us with information and what it feels like, and then, we’ll make that last call, but we’ll listen to him too.”
Jonah Tong will pitch the second game in Chicago and Nolan McLean will start in the series finale Thursday on regular rest.
