The New York Mets right-hander reliever Reed Garrett will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the team confirmed Thursday. The operation, performed on Wednesday, is formally termed as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, which will deprive New York of his services throughout the next season, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Garrett is the fifth Mets pitcher in 2025 to undergo Tommy John surgery, joining Danny Young, Dedniel Nunez, Frankie Montas, and Tylor Megill.
The origins of Garrett’s elbow ailment date back to August 2025, when early signs of inflammation forced him onto the 15-day injured list. He briefly returned in mid-September, making four appearances before renewed discomfort led to another IL stint on September 18. An MRI later revealed a UCL sprain, and after exploring non-surgical options, Garrett ultimately proceeded with surgery.
The 32-year-old appeared in a career-high 58 games this season, going 3–6 with a 3.90 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts in 55.1 innings (10.4 K/9). He also compiled three saves and 20 holds. Garrett’s overall production across his three seasons with New York stands at a 4.10 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 129.2 innings.
His 2025 campaign started strongly. Garrett did not allow an earned run through his first 13 outings, followed by a 1.38 ERA in May and two saves. However, his performance declined sharply in June (7.36 ERA in nine games) before rebounding slightly in July (3.97 ERA). By August, recurring elbow pain contributed to an 8.00 ERA in nine appearances, leading to his shutdown.
Since joining the Mets off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in June 2023, Garrett had emerged as a late-career breakout reliever. His 2024 season was his best in the majors, where he went 8–5, with a 3.77 ERA, 83 strikeouts, and 1.40 WHIP in 57.1 innings, including seven postseason outings (5.40 ERA in 8.1 IP). In the last two years, he has made 111 appearances, a significant increase in workload compared to the 31 MLB games he pitched from 2019 to 2023, a factor that may have contributed to the injury.
Garrett is projected to earn around $1.4 million in arbitration and remains under team control through at least 2028. However, given his age and recovery timeline of 12–18 months, New York faces a decision on whether to tender him a contract this winter.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Edwin Diaz’s contract status and the impending departures of Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto, and Ryne Stanek, Garrett’s injury tips the scales toward a full-blown bullpen restructuring for the Mets in 2026.
