Mets' Jeurys Familia Diagnosed with Blood Clot in Shoulder; Surgery Possible

New York Mets reliever Jeurys Familia has been diagnosed with an arterial clot in his right shoulder, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, who also reported that the pitcher is going to St. Louis to undergo further testing.

DiComo added that the Mets announced surgery is a possibility. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Mets aren't sure how long Familia could be out. Sherman also noted that former MLB pitcher David Cone suffered a similar injury in 1996 and missed four months as a result.

It's a major blow for the Mets, as Familia has excelled on the mound over the past two seasons. And it's the latest injury for a team that has been decimated by them to start the 2017 campaign.

After he posted 43 saves, a 1.85 ERA and career-best 4.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2015, the 27-year-old returned in 2016 and led the National League with 51 saves. During that productive stretch, Familia registered a 2.55 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 2.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

Thanks to an improving repertoire that includes a fastball, split-fingered heater and slider, Familia was expected to dominate again in 2017. He's struggled somewhat, however, perhaps due to his injury, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and three saves with one blown save.  

Should the injury force Familia to miss extended time, the Mets will likely turn to setup man Addison Reed, who entered the season with 106 career saves before he served as the team's interim closer during Familia's 15-game suspension at the start of 2017. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.