NEW YORK -- As seems to be the case far too often with the 2017 Mets, the injury bug will creep up at the most inopportune of times. Such was the case with Michael Conforto on Thursday during the Mets' 3-2 loss to the D-backs at Citi Field.
Conforto left with a dislocated left shoulder after he swung and missed at a Robbie Ray offering in the fifth inning and fell to the ground, clutching the shoulder in obvious pain. The club announced Thursday night that X-rays were negative, but an MRI revealed a tear in the posterior capsule in the shoulder. Conforto will be placed on the disabled list Friday, and all treatment options, including surgery, are being considered.
Conforto whiffed on a 2-0, 94.9-mph inside fastball before going down. He then walked into the Mets' clubhouse with trainer Ray Ramirez, but seemed to not be able to extend his arm at the elbow. 
The All-Star, who has a career-high 27 home runs and is hitting .279 on the year, missed about two weeks before the All-Star break after being hit in the left hand by a pitch. Brandon Nimmo finished off the rest of Conforto's at-bat, striking out, and took his place in right field. Conforto entered the day tied for fourth in the Majors with second-half home runs (13).
"It turns your stomach," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Young player who's having a tremendous year, really making a name for himself, to go down with an injury like that, it's tough to watch."

When asked whether he thought Conforto would return at some point this season, Collins did not want to speculate. Collins also said he had not ever seen an injury like this happen before, but Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler had -- although Wheeler clarified that the injury occurred on the hitter's front shoulder, not the back one.
"He's one of our centerpieces here," Wheeler said. "He's young and he has a bright future here. So when you see something like that happen, it's unfortunate and you hope the best for him."
In a season involving a multitude of injuries that helped torpedo the Mets' high preseason expectations, even the young players, like rookie first baseman Dominic Smith, are dismayed by the number of teammates they've seen head to the disabled list.
"A lot of people have been going down all year," said Smith, who noted it was tough to see the club lose another key player.
Conforto was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a sore right thumb, which he credited to the typical wear and tear of a long season, but declared himself fully healthy the next day.