Drew Smith’s UCL surgery puts end to his season, possibly Mets career

Drew Smith’s season is officially over.

And his Mets career could very well be, too.

The reliever underwent right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery with internal brace augmentation Friday, the team announced.

The operation was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas.

He’ll likely miss all of 2025 in addition to the rest of this season.

“You hate to see it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before Saturday’s clash against the Rockies at Citi Field. “… He’s still young. He’ll get back on the field, he’ll get back on track. He’s got a lot of innings left.”

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Though it was expected, Smith’s absence provides another brutal blow to a Mets bullpen that is already running on fumes.

Smith, 30, owned a 3.06 ERA with two saves this season in 19 appearances.

But Smith, the team’s longest-tenured pitcher, revealed last month that an MRI exam showed he had “pretty significant” ligament damage in his right elbow, and it was quickly expected that he would need surgery.

He sought a second medical opinion, and now Smith has officially undergone the second elbow operation of his career.

Smith previously missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow a season after making his MLB debut.

“It’s a cruel game,” Smith said June 29 when he revealed the injury. “And sometimes it’s unfair. … I’ve been with the Mets for a long time, and I love this organization. I don’t know if my time here is over, obviously, but it could be, and it just sucks to see it end like this.”

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Beyond leaving the Mets’ bullpen thinner, the injury comes at a brutal time for Smith.

He is set to be a free agent after the season for the first time in his career.

Originally a third-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Tigers who was sent to the Rays two years later, the Mets acquired Smith from Tampa Bay in 2017 in exchange for Lucas Duda.

In six seasons with the Mets, Smith recorded a 3.48 combined ERA with five saves.

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He last pitched in the team’s win against the Cubs on June 23.

He was forced to enter that game in the ninth inning with a rushed warm-up following Edwin Diaz’s ejection for sticky stuff .

Smith recorded two outs before motioning for the trainers to check on him.

He stayed in the game but gave up a single and was subsequently pulled.

A few days of rest did not solve Smith’s pain, and an MRI exam soon showed the damage.

The Mets’ reeling bullpen entered Saturday with a 4.22 ERA.

The unit will now have to replace its longtime mainstay.

“We’ll pray for him for a full recovery,” Mendoza said. “We’ll support him.”

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