NEW YORK -- A Mets team ravaged by injury received more bad news Thursday, when team doctors diagnosed closer Jeurys Familia with an arterial clot in his right shoulder. Surgery is possible.
Familia was examined by doctors at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan on Thursday morning. He is scheduled to travel to St. Louis for additional testing by Dr. Robert Thompson, the surgeon who performed Matt Harvey's operation for thoracic outlet syndrome last July.
Familia has compiled three saves and a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances since returning from a 15-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Leading the National League with 51 saves last season, Familia has been one of the league's most heavily-worked relievers since 2014, ranking second in MLB with 241 appearances.
Appearing in his third consecutive game on Wednesday, Familia allowed four runs to blow his first save of the year in a 6-5 loss to the Giants. Afterward, he said his arm "feels great," and manager Terry Collins contended that Familia was adequately rested after throwing just 15 pitches in his previous two outings.
In Familia's absence, Addison Reed will close, as he did during his teammate's suspension. Reed racked up four saves during that 15-game stretch, and has struck out 22 batters without a walk in 18 innings overall this season. The former White Sox and Diamondbacks closer owns a 3.00 ERA.
But Reed's skillset is only a mild consolation for the Mets. In less than a month, the team has lost the leaders of its rotation (Noah Syndergaard), lineup (Yoenis Cespedes) and bullpen (Familia), in addition to a laundry list of others: Steven Matz, Seth Lugo, Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud. The Mets have not officially placed Familia on the disabled list, but they are expected to do so prior to Friday's game in Milwaukee.
Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)
While Familia should be retained in all leagues until more information is available, fantasy owners should also immediately scan waivers for his possible replacement: setup man Reed. The right-handed Reed -- who picked up four saves in April -- has shown the necessary skills to close by posting a 2.03 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and a 10.5 K/9 rate since joining the Mets during the 2015 season.