Steven Matz Undergoes Elbow Surgery, Jeurys Familia to Be Activated by Mets

The New York Mets announced Thursday that starting pitcher Steven Matz underwent successful elbow surgery to "decompress and reposition the ulnar nerve in his left elbow" on Wednesday, according to Adam Rubin of SNY.

The team also noted that reliever Jeurys Familia would be activated before Friday's game against the Washington Nationals.

Finally, the team noted that starter Zack Wheeler wouldn't pitch for the rest of the season. 

As for Matz, the 26-year-old's disappointing 2017 season is coming to an end. After missing the first two months of the season with elbow issues, Matz went 2-7 with a whopping 6.08 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 66.2 innings. 

"I'm happy that there's an answer to it," Matz said about his consistent discomfort with his elbow this season, per Chris Bumbaca of MLB.com.

One positive for Matz and his team is that Jacob deGrom had the same surgery last year and has fully recovered and thrived this season (13-7 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 191 strikeouts in 165 innings). The hope will be that Matz—one of the promising young pitchers the Mets are built around—will recover and pitch up to his elite potential after the surgery.

Familia, meanwhile, returns after a stint on the disabled list and should immediately return to a late-innings role with the team after he last pitched May 10. Familia was a dynamic closer for the Mets in the previous two seasons, totaling 94 saves. While Familia may not take over as the closer immediately—AJ Ramos is available to fill that role—his return to action will provide an immediate boost to the team's bullpen.