Mets pitcher to start season on IL due to hamstring strain

The Mets informed reporters, including Tim Britton of The Athletic, that right-hander Max Kranick has a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. The righty will be shut down for seven to 10 days and will need time to build back up after that, which will lead to him starting the season on the injured list.

Up until a week ago, the Mets were set to open the season with righty Kodai Senga as their ace. With veterans like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander having been traded at last year’s deadline, Senga vaulted himself to the front of the rotation with a 2.98 earned run average in his first taste of the majors last season. Unfortunately, it was reported last week that Senga has a posterior capsule strain in his throwing shoulder and will start the season on the IL.

Senga’s absence left the club with a rotation mix of José Quintana, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Adrian Houser, with one spot available. The options for that fifth spot would have included Kranick alongside Joey Lucchesi, Tylor Megill and José Butto. Another depth option, David Peterson, will also start the season on the IL due to hip surgery. The news today of Kranick’s strain means that the Mets will start the season without three of their potential rotation options.

Kranick would have been a long shot to win a job ahead of those other hurlers. Claimed off waivers from the Pirates in January, he’s hardly pitched in the last two years due to undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2022. He made his MLB debut in 2021 and posted an unimpressive ERA of 6.28 in his nine starts that year, but he averaged 94.2 miles per hour on his fastball, had a 13.1% swinging strike rate and did a good job avoiding barrels and hard contact.

If there’s one silver lining about Thursday's news, it’s that the Mets will get a chance to look at Kranick in the minors once he’s ready for a rehab assignment. He’s now out of options and was perhaps looking at being squeezed off the roster on Opening Day if he wasn’t able to secure a spot at the back of the rotation or as a long reliever. But he’ll now focus on his health and then the Mets will have some time to decide on his future after some minor league outings. It’s also possible that his chances at a roster spot might increase as the season rolls along if other injuries crop up.