New York Mets News: Zack Wheeler Target Return Date Set

New York Mets News: The Mets have a target date in mind for SP Zack Wheeler to make his return from Tommy John surgery.

The New York Mets have one of the most talked about rotations in the major leagues. It is a big reason that they were able to eventually run away with the 2015 NL East title and make a surprise run to the World Series against the Kansas City Royals.

The rotation is loaded with talented young arms in Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. They are in the limelight of this Mets team, and for good reason; those four give the Mets a core that will give them an advantage on the mound virtually every time they take the field.

But, people forget that there is another young arm waiting in the wings eager to get back on the mound in Zack Wheeler. Wheeler was the original top prospect for the Mets, as they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Carlos Beltran in 2011. He was looked at as the future of the Mets rotation, and with good reason; he was the sixth overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Giants.

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But, Wheeler had his rise derailed last Spring Training. After having some pain in his arm throughout the winter, the Mets were unable to find anything wrong with him, so he continued with his normal schedule. But, the Mets eventually found out that Wheeler had an injury in his elbow, and he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery.

It has been almost 12 months since Wheeler had the surgery, but we now have a target date that has been set for him to return to the mound at Citi Field. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets are targeting July 1st for Wheeler’s return.

“It could accelerate a little bit, but we feel real comfortable with that,” general manager Sandy Alderson said last week. “I know he does as well. He felt that he could have come back sooner than that, but we backed him off. So he really hasn’t thrown off a mound. He hasn’t thrown off a slope. We just said, ‘Let’s cool it.'”