Former standout reliever to undergo elbow surgery

Mets reliever John Curtiss underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his throwing elbow, the club announced (relayed by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). He’s expected to be ready for Opening Day next season.

Curtiss was already ruled out for the rest of ’23 when the Mets put him on the 60-day injured list last week. The 30-year-old righty threw 19 2/3 innings through 15 MLB outings. He posted a 4.58 ERA with slightly worse-than-average strikeout and walk numbers (19.8% and 9.9%, respectively). Curtiss spent a bit more time with Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 7.17 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. His Triple-A strikeout and walk rates were similar to his MLB marks but he surrendered six homers in that minor league look.

New York signed Curtiss to a major league contract on the eve of Opening Day last season. They knew he’d miss the entire year rehabbing from a September 2021 Tommy John procedure. New York triggered a $775K club option to keep him around as a depth reliever for this season, though they presumably envisioned something more closely resembling the 3.45 ERA he posted in 44 1/3 innings two seasons ago.

The Mets can retain Curtiss for two more years via arbitration. Even if he’ll be ready for next spring, he looks like a non-tender candidate since the Mets would have to reinstate him onto the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason. Curtiss exhausted his final option season in 2023; if the Mets tender him a contract, they’d have to carry him on the MLB roster or designate him for assignment.