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MLB Free Agent Michael Conforto out Until 2023 After Surgery on Shoulder Injury
April 24, 2022
Free agent Michael Conforto will miss the entire 2022 season after undergoing surgery on his shoulder last week, his agent Scott Boras told the Associated Press.
The outfielder is expected to return to the field in time for spring training in 2023.
Boras told the New York Post's Joel Sherman in March the 29-year-old had injured his right shoulder while working out in the offseason.
It contributed to Conforto remaining unsigned as a free agent after a disappointing 2021 season with the New York Mets. In addition to dealing with a strained right hamstring, Conforto's .729 OPS was the second-lowest of his career, per Baseball Reference.
He slugged just .384, more than 100 points below what he had delivered in 2019 (.494) and 2020 (.515).
The Mets still offered the veteran an $18.4 million qualifying offer, which Conforto and Boras declined in order to reach free agency.
Conforto had proven himself in the past, earning an All-Star selection in 2017. He set career highs with 33 home runs and 92 RBI in 2019 before hitting .322 during the shortened 2020 campaign.
It now appears he will go unsigned throughout the year as he looks to bounce back in 2023.