The New York Mets just can’t catch a break with their pitching rotation. Right-hander Griffin Canning suffered what looks like an Achilles injury during a recent win against the Atlanta Braves.
At first, it seemed like a small mishap. But things escalated quickly, and now the Mets are waiting on MRI results that could confirm a season-ending diagnosis.
Canning’s future hangs in the balance, both for this year and maybe even beyond. The Mets already have a long list of injured pitchers, and this just adds to their problems.
Griffin Canning’s Injury: A Devastating Blow for the Mets
During the third inning, Canning went down on what should’ve been an ordinary play. He grabbed his left leg, clearly in pain.
Early reports tried to downplay it, saying it might be a minor ankle thing. But Mets manager Carlos Mendoza later admitted the medical staff feared a serious Achilles injury—basically the nightmare scenario for everyone involved.
Achilles injuries are brutal. They usually leave players sidelined for months, and sometimes the whole season is a wash.
Canning’s Impact in the Mets’ Rotation
This isn’t just about Canning. The Mets rotation already looked shaky, and now they’ve lost another piece.
Canning joined the Mets as a free agent after stints with the Angels and Braves, and he surprised a lot of people with how well he fit in. He stepped up when other starters went down, putting together a 3.77 ERA over 73 2/3 innings.
The coaching staff worked with him on his slider, and it really showed. He started striking out more batters and getting more ground balls, becoming a steady presence in a rotation that needed exactly that.
Now, with this Achilles injury, all that progress comes to a screeching halt. The Mets suddenly have a big hole to fill, and honestly, there aren’t a lot of great options.
A Rotation in Tatters: Who Steps Up Now?
Canning’s injury just adds to the Mets’ pile of pitching problems. Tylor Megill is out with an elbow sprain. Kodai Senga’s got a hamstring strain.
Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Paul Blackburn are all dealing with issues, too. Even if some of them come back soon, the Mets are running out of healthy arms.
Right now, David Peterson seems like the next man up. Maybe Blackburn or Montas can help out once they’re healthy, but who knows?
There’s talk about calling up prospects like Blade Tidwell and Justin Hagenman to cover some innings. But expecting rookies or injury-prone pitchers to save the season? That feels like a long shot, and the postseason hopes are looking pretty shaky.
Griffin Canning’s Future: A Career at a Crossroads
This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Canning. He’d battled through a stress reaction in his back and elbow soreness, and finally looked like a dependable starter.
He was getting ready to hit free agency again, maybe even land a decent deal with a team needing a solid mid-rotation arm. Now? The long recovery ahead could really hurt his market value.
If the Achilles injury is as bad as feared, next season might be in jeopardy—maybe even part of 2026. Teams will have to weigh his recent success against the risk of more injuries.
It’s a tough spot for a guy who fought his way back to relevance and now faces a lot of uncertainty.
What Lies Ahead for the Mets and Canning?
The injury to Griffin Canning couldn’t come at a worse time for either party. The Mets already face a tough pitching situation, with injuries stacking up across the rotation.
For Canning, it’s a personal setback that threatens to undo so much of the progress he’s made. As the Mets wait for MRI results, they’ll have to move fast if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Right now, Canning’s season—and maybe even his career path—hangs in the balance. The Mets must dig into their organizational depth just to survive, while Canning faces what could be a long, uncertain road back to the mound.
Here is the source article for this story: Griffin Canning Believed To Suffer Achilles Injury
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