Top Mets prospect Williams has wrist surgery, could return in August

LONDON -- Top Mets prospect Jett Williams underwent right wrist surgery Thursday and will be sidelined until at least August as he recovers, the team announced.

Williams, who began experiencing wrist discomfort in April, received a pair of cortisone injections in the area in hopes that conservative treatment would allow him to avoid surgery. But his pain never completely dissipated, prompting Williams to undergo a wrist TFCC debridement procedure.

A typical return to game activity following such an operation is 8-10 weeks, according to the Mets, which would take Williams into early or mid-August. If his recovery lasts much longer than that, Williams could risk missing the rest of the season.

MLB Pipeline’s top overall Mets prospect and the 33rd-ranked prospect in baseball, Williams was batting .179/.360/.308 in 11 games for Double-A Binghamton prior to his injury. He was one of the most productive players in the Minor Leagues last season, however, slashing .263/.425/.451 over three levels as a 19-year-old. A shortstop and center fielder, Williams profiles as a potential top-of-the-order hitter with elite speed and plate discipline.

It has been a difficult season so far for Mets prospects. Two other players who began this year on the Mets’ Top 30 list, pitchers Calvin Ziegler and Nate Lavender, have undergone season-ending elbow surgeries. In addition, the club’s second-ranked prospect, Drew Gilbert, has missed nearly the entire season to date while recovering from a right hamstring strain; he’s due back in late June. Sixth-ranked prospect Ronny Mauricio is also expected to miss most or all of the year while recovering from right knee surgery.