Mets hopeful Christian Scott absence won’t be long, but don’t rule out worst after injury scare

Christian Scott will be shut down for two weeks with a sprained UCL , which both the right-hander and the Mets called “good news.”

But as both Scott and Carlos Mendoza noted Wednesday, it depends on how the 25-year-old responds to the shutdown.

If it goes well, he’s expected to be back for the Mets before the end of the season. If not, Tommy John surgery would be an option, which would keep him out until 2026.

“The best option is to do this right now,’’ Scott said of the rest. “If I get [surgery] now or two months from now, I’ll be ready for 2026.”

The Mets have put a good spin on it at this point after Scott reported soreness in the elbow during his start in Miami on Sunday and it persisted a day later.

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“It’s not the worst-case scenario, which is awesome,’’ Scott said prior to the Mets facing the Yankees in The Bronx.

Scott said doctors told him it was unclear if there was a tear in the ligament and that there was inflammation.

He won’t need more imaging to begin throwing again in two weeks, as long as his elbow feels OK.

Still, it’s the second straight year Scott has dealt with an elbow injury.

He was shut down last August, but returned prior to the end of the season.

They are hoping for a similar result this year.

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“You don’t want to go into the offseason with question marks about it,’’ Scott said. “Last year it happened and I didn’t have anything happen [when I came back]. This year happened and it’s obviously frustrating.”

“In two weeks, he’ll ramp back up,’’ Mendoza said. “It’s good news so far. We’re just relieved he’s only shut down for a couple weeks.”

Asked if he expected Scott to return this season, the manager said, “I was told they’re feeling pretty good with him being back.”

Like Scott, Mendoza expressed “relief” regarding the news, but also added a note of caution.

“We’ve just got to wait,’’ Mendoza said.

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The Mets have been very cautious with Scott, who has already thrown a career-high 89 ²/₃ innings this season combined between the majors and Triple-A Syracuse.

Last season, Scott threw 87 ²/₃ innings.

For now, the Mets are relieved there’s at least a chance Scott could avoid elbow surgery.

“We see it as a positive sign he’s only shut down two weeks,” Mendoza said. “Anytime you send a pitcher for an MRI when he complains about his elbow, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

Given the fact he’s now dealt with a similar issue in consecutive seasons, Mendoza was asked if there was concern it would recur.

“It’s hard to tell,’’ Mendoza said. “That’s why we try to protect him with pitch counts and recovery between outings. It’s hard to predict.”

Without Scott in the rotation for the foreseeable future, the Mets could turn to Jose Butto, but Butto has become a solid piece out of the bullpen. The July 30 trade deadline is also less than a week away.

“We’ll see,’’ Mendoza said. “We’ve got options. We’ve got to get through Thursday and Friday and see what we have.”

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