The Miami Marlins placed All-Star pitcher Max Meyer on the 15-day injured list Monday with a strained neck, a significant blow as they chase a playoff spot.
Meyer sustained the injury during Saturday’s 8-6 loss to Milwaukee at American Family Field. The right-hander gave up two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks in what turned out to be a concerning outing.
It was Meyer’s first start in 10 days – the longest gap of his four-year career. He didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game last Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Manager Clayton McCullough told reporters before Monday’s game against Houston that Meyer “felt a little sensation in the neck area” during his July 7 start that hadn’t gone away.
When similar pains returned Saturday, McCullough pulled his ace. Meyer will see a specialist later this week.
“Certainly, (there’s) a level concern that he’s gonna go to the IL and have to be down for at least a couple of weeks, but I think right now (they) just want to get a fuller picture of what’s going on and what’s leading to this,” McCullough said, as reported by ESPN.com.
Timing couldn’t be worse
The Marlins entered Monday at 52-48, six games behind Atlanta in the NL East. They’re tied with St. Louis and Pittsburgh for the third Wild Card spot.
Meyer’s been their most reliable starter this season. In 20 starts, the former 34th-round pick has posted a 2.68 ERA – ninth-best among MLB starters. His 121 strikeouts in 111 innings rank eighth league-wide.
It’s been a breakout year for Meyer, who’s emerged as Miami’s ace at just the right time. Now they’ll need to find a way to stay in contention without him for at least the next few weeks.
