Mets RHP Griffin Canning has ruptured Achilles

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The New York Mets announced that starting pitcher Griffin Canning suffered a ruptured Achilles on Thursday night.

Canning was placed on the 60-day injured list on Friday and faces a lengthy recovery. It is the same injury that affected NBA stars Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton during the playoffs.

On Thursday, Canning threw a pitch to Atlanta’s Nick Allen, who grounded out to shortstop Francisco Lindor. Planting his leg to run to back up third base, Canning crumpled to the ground and held his left leg in the air. Mets catcher Luis Torrens waved for the training staff and manager Carlos Mendoza to attend to him, and they had to help Canning off the field.

The right-hander pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and fanning three with no walks. In his first season with the Mets following five with the Los Angeles Angels, Canning was 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 16 starts.

New York made a number of other transactions along with Canning’s move to the IL.

The Mets recalled right-hander Blade Tidwell and selected left-hander Colin Poche from Triple-A Syracuse. They optioned right-hander Austin Warren and infielder Jared Young to Syracuse, and left-hander Dicky Lovelady elected free agency after declining an outright assignment to Triple-A.

The Mets also reinstated infielder Mark Vientos from the 10-day IL. Vientos last played June 2 before going on the injured list with a hamstring strain. He is in the Mets’ lineup for Friday’s game at the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting sixth as the designated hitter.

Finally, the Mets signed outfielder Jose Azocar to a minor league deal and sent him to Syracuse. Azocar began the season with New York, playing 12 games for the major league club; after being granted free agency, he saw action in two games for the Atlanta Braves, then was granted free agency again June 18.

–Field Level Media