5 Key Injury Risks That Need to Pan Out Well for Mets in 2015

In recent seasons, the New York Mets have been plagued by some unfortunate injuries. Some injuries lasted no more than a few weeks, but others lasted months or even put an end to a player's season.

Injuries, of course, are a part of baseball and sports in general. They can happen at any given moment and sometimes at what may seem to be the worst possible moment. Because of the possibilities of injuries occurring, it's important for teams to have a good amount of depth on the roster. This includes both the major league bench and additional minor league depth.

Here are five particular players the Mets will need to stay healthy in order to be more successful in 2015.

SP Matt Harvey

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

This was a familiar sight for Matt Harvey throughout 2014. The Mets ace missed the entire season after recovering from Tommy John surgery in October 2013.

Harvey is now healthy and on track to be a part of spring training in March; however, there's a very good chance that Harvey's innings this season will be at a particular limit due to his elbow.

As a result, in order to save Harvey from reaching his innings limit before the postseason, if the Mets were to get there, Harvey may not be the Mets' Opening Day starter in an effort to skip a few weeks or so and delay his innings until a bit later. Skipping starts occasionally throughout the season could be another option.

The exact plan for Harvey has yet to be officially determined, but it's clear that the Mets will try to be as careful as possible with Harvey this season. In the end, if Harvey simply avoids injury, that would be a win-win for everyone on the Mets.

CL Bobby Parnell

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Harvey was not the only Met to undergo Tommy John surgery in the past 18 months. Closer Bobby Parnell underwent the same surgery after appearing in just one game in 2014. It's unknown if Parnell will be ready for Opening Day this year, but he's a big part of the Mets bullpen, and getting him back would be a big boost for the bullpen.

Parnell will probably have to battle with incumbent closer Jenrry Mejia and fellow young reliever Jeurys Familia for the closing job. Regardless of their exact roles, they are arguably the three most important relievers in the Mets bullpen. Great pitching in clutch situations could go a long way toward the Mets having a great season.

Hopefully, once he's back on the field, Parnell will stay healthy in the future.

David Wright

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

On the hitting side, the Mets will certainly need a healthy David Wright to lead the lineup throughout the season.

Wright played part of last season with a bad shoulder that eventually forced his season to end early. Hopefully, his shoulder will be in much better shape this year.

The Mets cannot afford another subpar season from Wright. His .269 average and eight home runs were both career lows, and in order for the Mets to really contend for the postseason, Wright will need to hit like he has in the past. He averages 25 home runs per year, and any number above 20 would be great to see from Wright at this point.

But first and foremost, he needs to stay healthy. He is not only one of the best hitters on the team, but he is the captain and the leader of the Mets, and that's especially why they need him on the field. The Mets are just not the same without him. A rejuvenated Wright would mean so much to them.

Curtis Granderson

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson was not exactly hurt in 2014, but it's his 2013 injury that puts him on this list.

Granderson hit just .227 in 2014, so the Mets will need him to return to being the premier run-producer he was with the New York Yankees in 2011 and 2012. Of course, staying healthy would be very beneficial for the Mets as well.

Michael Cuddyer

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

With the Mets having lacked an additional right-handed veteran power bat alongside Wright, they signed right fielder Michael Cuddyer to a two-year contract.

Cuddyer missed most of the 2014 season due to injuries. At 36 years old by Opening Day, Cuddyer is at an age in which injuries become a higher risk for players. In order for the Cuddyer signing to pay off, he will need to stay healthy and continue to hit well. He won the NL batting title in 2013 with the Colorado Rockies.

Cuddyer was the Mets' big signing so far in this offseason so if he gets hurt or does not hit particularly well, the offseason will be viewed as more of a failure than a success, for sure.

All statistics shown are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.