The New York Mets just can’t catch a break, especially when it comes to keeping their pitchers upright and healthy.
Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves, Griffin Canning dropped to the ground, clutching his left leg in clear agony.
It was the kind of moment that deflates a stadium. Canning had looked sharp before suddenly collapsing on his landing.
Griffin Canning is leaving the game with an apparent leg injury pic.twitter.com/FAKwmx66un
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 26, 2025
With Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill already sidelined, the Mets’ rotation was stretched tighter than a worn-out guitar string.
Canning’s injury, officially listed as an ankle issue, now adds yet another gaping hole to an already patchwork staff.
RHP Griffin Canning was removed from today’s game with a left ankle injury. He will undergo imaging.
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 27, 2025
He’d thrown 2.2 shutout innings with three strikeouts, looking poised for a strong outing before fate intervened.
Fans watched in silence as he limped off, unable to put weight on the leg — a gut punch to an injury-worn team.
A Season of Setbacks for Mets Pitching
Before Canning, it was Senga. Then Megill. And Sean Manaea, still rehabbing from an oblique and now an elbow flare-up.
Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn have only recently returned, but they alone can’t carry an entire rotation’s weight.
The Mets began 2025 down three starting pitchers, and every time one returns, another seems to fall like dominoes.
That kind of cycle wears down a team — emotionally, physically, and strategically. There’s no room left for error.
With Canning potentially facing extended time off, the pressure mounts on Montas, Blackburn, and whoever’s left.
Manaea’s Status Adds More Uncertainty
The team was hopeful Sean Manaea could rejoin the rotation soon, but his rehab paused again due to elbow discomfort.
His progress had been steady until this most recent hiccup — a frustrating pattern for both player and team.
Without Manaea’s return, the Mets may have no choice but to gamble on an unproven arm from the minors.
Veterans on minor league contracts have filled gaps in short stints, but that’s not a sustainable long-term plan.
Next Men Up: Nolan McLean or Brandon Sproat?
If Manaea isn’t cleared soon, eyes turn to Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat as possible emergency replacements.
Neither has major league experience, but the Mets may be forced to accelerate the clock on one — or both.
It’s a tough ask: pitching in meaningful games against playoff-bound teams with the season hanging in the balance.
McLean’s stuff flashes potential, while Sproat has impressive prospect pedigree — but both remain raw at this level.
Mets Cling to Hope Amid Chaos
Injuries like this one test the DNA of a team — how deep they dig, how quickly they adapt, how fiercely they fight.
Griffin Canning’s potential absence feels massive, especially since he’d enjoyed a massive year to this point with a 3.77 ERA.
What hurts most is the timing. The Mets were finally stringing together momentum after surviving early-season turbulence.
It’s a lot like building a sandcastle at low tide — just as it starts to take shape, a wave crashes through.
New York can still tread water if Montas and Blackburn continue to perform — but they’re one bad start from crisis.
Canning will undergo imaging soon, and the Mets desperately hope it’s a sprain, not something more devastating.
Until then, fans can only hold their breath and brace for what’s next in this ongoing rotation rollercoaster.
READ MORE: Mets tie Phillies at the top of the NL East standings without even taking the field on Thursday
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