The New York Mets received more bad injury news as ESPN reported that relief pitcher Vic Black has been diagnosed with a small disk herniation on the right side of his neck.
The right-hander was scheduled to make his 2015 debut this week, but that’s not going to be happening anytime soon. The return would have been convenient for a team that had just lost Jerry Blevins to a fractured forearm after he got struck by a line drive on Sunday. In the same game, promising young catcher Travis d'Arnaud suffered a broken forearm.
Black’s injury was noticed during a rehab appearance for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday. According to the Daily News, the 26-year-old complained about soreness and his velocity was down.
According to the ESPN report, the injury is affecting the strength and movement of his right triceps muscle, which will negatively affect his pitching. Although there is no definitive timetable for Black's return, the club says he is still on the path to a healthy recovery. New York has called up Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas to join the reeling bullpen.