Mets Lose Scott to Hip Injury as Rotation Crisis Deepens

Christian Scott is headed to the 15-day injured list with a hip issue that Jon Heyman reported is not believed to be serious, removing the Mets' best-performing starter from tomorrow's lineup against Cincinnati. Scott was scheduled to start Tuesday but will instead join Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga on the sidelines, leaving New York's rotation in an acute bind.

The timing amplifies the damage. Scott arrived as a stabilizing force exactly when the Mets needed one most. After debuting in 2024, he missed all of 2025 following September elbow surgery (a torn UCL repair), then returned April 23 with a rocky first outing—five walks in 1 1/3 innings. But he recovered sharply. Over his past eight starts, Scott posted a 2.97 ERA with 46 strikeouts against just 14 walks across 39 1/3 innings. The Mets went 6-2 in those games. He had become the rotation's heartbeat when depth was thinnest.

The available options to fill his spot reveal how limited New York's margin for error has become. The current rotation runs through Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, and Sean Manaea, who just returned to the rotation June 13 after working as a bulk reliever. Jonah Tong, who pitched in relief for the Mets in early June, was sent down to Triple-A Syracuse on June 3 and has struggled badly since—a 6.13 ERA over two starts, capped by an outing Sunday where he allowed four runs over five innings. Kodai Senga completed a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Thursday but is not expected to be available until later this month. The Mets are essentially choosing between depth that hasn't worked or not-yet-healthy arms.

For prop bettors, this reshuffles the Mets' run-production expectations and opponent pitcher quality. Tomorrow's game will feature a rookie or depth-chart fill-in facing a Cincinnati lineup that has feasted on below-average ERA starters. This is not a Scott-type outing where strikeout volume was reliable and walks were controlled. Expect books to adjust the Reds' team total upward and the Mets' under to tighten; a hastily constructed pitching matchup carries elevated variance that favors plays on the Reds' side. The absence also signals the Mets' bullpen will absorb more innings across the rotation, which compresses leverage usage and increases fatigue wear across a stretched relief corps.

The hip injury itself may not be structurally grave, but Scott's return timeline and the Mets' current pitcher availability tell a grimmer story about organizational depth. Scott was a plug-and-play asset in a season where the Mets are learning there is no redundancy.