At this point, it seems like the New York Mets’ injury list could probably compete in the NL East. Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning, Jesse Winker—you name it, and they have been sidelined. And it’s not just minor stuff, too. Canning had ruptured his Achilles, and Nunez and Young are both done for the season after Tommy John surgery.

Also, Jesse Winker, with his back issues, now seems to be on a 60-day injured list. It’s a full-blown injury curse that the Mets have been on the receiving end of.

So when TaylorTaylor Megill threw 20 pitches in a live BP session on Sunday, it was not like another box checked; it felt like hope.

“It’s good to see him out there already facing hitters,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “The next step is another one, hopefully on Thursday for two innings, and then we’ll go from there.” Now Megill’s elbow sprain had landed him on the wretched injured list back in June, and the Mets had been cautious about his return. Megill has been good this season with a 1.74 ERA in his first six outings.

But things got pretty rocky after that, and the $2 million star ended up with a 5.79 ERA. Now, if all goes well, Megill could return by late August, and don’t be surprised if he ends up being a long relief weapon rather than a starter. Meanwhile, there is an update on Paul Blackburn as well, and he has thrown 93 pitches in Triple-A this weekend. There, he gave up just two runs over 5.1 innings, and Mendoza mentioned Blackburn is set to throw a bullpen before the Mets figure out what to do with him now. “He threw the ball well again. So now it’s about how he’s feeling today and tomorrow. He’s got to throw a bullpen, and then we’ll go from there.”

Now, after months of injury chaos, also the Juan Soto injury scare, the Mets are finally seeing some glimmers of hope and light. And one of their bullpen arms seems to have avoided one of the worst outcomes despite having a season-ending injury.

New York Mets reliever avoids major blow amid surgery rumors.

Just when it looked like Max Kranick’s season might have gone for a toss, there seems to be some hope. According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, the New York Mets reliever didn’t need Tommy John surgery at all. Instead, he went through another procedure called the flexor tendon repair. It is a less invasive option, and that gives him enough chances to make a return in 2026.

The 28-year-old has quietly but surely carved out a role for himself in the New York Mets bullpen this season. He logged a 3.65 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 37 innings. That’s his first MLB action since 2022, and he had already made a tough recovery from Tommy John and had a year in the minors, and finally made the opening day roster and was a long relief arm that Carlos Mendoza trusted.

Now the Mets’ bullpen is riddled with injuries, and to steady the ship, the front office has reinforcements. From Gregory Soto, righty Tyler Rogers, and NL Reliever of the Year Ryan Helsley to set up Edwin Díaz. The only twist is that all four, including Edwin Diaz, could hit free agency this winter. So it means the Mets have some tough calls to make soon.

There is also Kranick’s contract situation—he is entering arbitration for the first time. So if the NY Mets want him, they will need to carry him on the 40-man roster all offseason, given there are no 60-day ILs in the winter. Then come spring, they can move him back to IL and free a spot. If they give him a contract, they will have him under their control till 2029.

So Kranick’s journey is far from over; it’s just starting to gear up for the next chapter.