Mets' Wilmer Flores shut down for season because of arthritis in both knees
WASHINGTON — Wilmer Flores has been shut down for the rest of the season with what Mets manager Mickey Callaway called “early on-set arthritis in both knees.”
Callaway made the announcement about the fan favorite’s status before the Mets played Washington at Nationals Park on Thursday night.
Flores left the Mets earlier this week to get tested in Manhattan at the Hospital for Special Surgery after reporting pain in both knees. Callaway said Flores received pain-reducing injections in both knees. Flores returned to the team on Thursday and went right into the trainer’s room to brief the Mets’ medical staff on his condition.
Flores, 27, signed with the Mets out of Venezuela went he was 16. He was the starting shortstop on the 2015 World Series team, but has been a part-time player the last three seasons. Callaway said the Mets do not yet know how the diagnosis will affect Flores’ future.
“We haven’t gotten into that deep,” Callaway said. “But the doctors at this point just kind of recommended this course of action . . . I don’t know the in-depth specifics of it, but it’s not like surgery is recommended at this time or anything. I think that rest and a couple of injections is supposed to knock this out pretty good.”
Flores has been mainly a corner infielder and pinch hitter this season, his sixth in the big leagues. He hit .267 with 11 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .736 OPS in 126 games.
Flores would seem to be going into 2019 as a righthanded bat off the bench if the Mets have a lefthanded hitter at first base (Jay Bruce) and second base (Jeff McNeil), as it currently appears they will. But a lot can happen between now and next Opening Day, so Callaway couldn’t speak with any certainty about Flores’ 2019 role.
“That’s really hard to say,” Callaway said. “I think it really depends on what the rest of our team looks like. He can definitely fill in and start and swing the bat well and play good enough defense to be considered for [an everyday spot], so we’ll just have to see what the makeup of our team looks like next year. Obviously, he swung the bat well throughout the season and improved as the season went on.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
