The Mets’ pitching crisis just took another brutal turn. What began as cautious optimism around Griffin Canning’s recovery has now spiraled into worst-case reality. The right-hander, once expected to be a key part of the Mets’ second-half surge, has suffered a devastating, season-ending ruptured Achilles. And the return timeline? A cool nine months on the sidelines.
But even though 2025 is officially over for Canning, his mindset is already locked onto the comeback trail. And in a surprising twist, he’s drawing inspiration from none other than NBA sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who famously battled back from a similar injury. Ft. Thompson’s brother, Trayce.
“I’m good friends with Trayce, so he kind of connected me with his brother,“ Canning shared. “So it’s pretty early in the stages of this. Once I have some questions, I’m gonna reach out to Klay, for sure.”
Griffin Canning says he connected with Klay Thompson through his brother, Trayce, after his Achilles injury last week.
Klay Thompson suffered a torn Achilles in November of 2020. pic.twitter.com/K9ZcTKfev3
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 1, 2025
Back in 2020, Warriors star and Steph Curry’s former teammate Klay Thompson went through a brutal setback. A torn right Achilles that kept him out for the entire 2020-2021 season. But he didn’t sit it out. He came back strong and proved his worth again. And fast forward to now, Thompson is contributing solidly with 14 points per game this season.
Now, for someone like Griffin Canning, who’s facing a similar injury, there’s probably no better person to look up to during rehab than Thompson.
For Griffin Canning, the story began last Thursday. The former UCLA pitcher had just gotten 2.2 innings into his 16th start of the year against the Braves. In that game, the Mets’ pitcher was reeling with injury after stepping awkwardly off the mound on a ball hit to the infield. But he tossed 2.2 scoreless innings before exiting. And that even brought his ERA down to 3.77.
Well, it’s a tough break. He spent his first five seasons with the Angels. And this time, Canning was in the middle of a real bounce-back year with the Mets on a one-year deal. But look at the irony! He will now finish with the lowest single-season ERA of his career.
And for the Mets, they are going to feel his absence big time. Of course! Canning currently holds the lowest combined ERA in all of baseball!
So, for now, it’s time for the Mets to think about the long term.
The Mets might have a few names to replace Canning
With Griffin Canning now officially out for the season, the Mets are on the clock to find a replacement, and fast. They’ve already slipped behind the Phillies, and with the race heating up, there’s no time to waste. And now, it looks like they might have found a possible solution!
According to MLB columnist Christopher Kline, the Mets could target Merrill Kelly from the Diamondbacks. The 36-year-old is having a solid year with a 3.39 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 93 innings across 16 starts. Moreover, he’s set to become a free agent at the end of the season. So it would make sense for Arizona to trade him while his value is high.
Even though age is not on Kelly’s side, with so few dependable one-year rentals available on the trade market, it would be wise for the Mets to act quickly. And he is cost-effective, too. So, a good bargain to act as a stopgap till Canning comes back.
There’s another name, as well. Orioles veteran Charlie Morton. Morton’s overall numbers look rough: 5.63 ERA. But he’s quietly turned a corner over his last six starts, posting a 2.88 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 25 innings. However, Morton would still be a bit of a gamble, especially considering his age and inconsistency.
But if the Orioles are willing to let him go for cheap, the Mets might take a flyer. Again, Morton could be a good stopgap solution for the Mets.
Either way, time is ticking for the Mets!
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