Dedniel Nunez needs Tommy John surgery in latest Mets bullpen injury blow

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A high-end bullpen piece for the Mets won’t be returning this season or perhaps next.

Dedniel Núñez is set to undergo Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, after he was placed on the injured list earlier this month with an elbow sprain.

The right-hander appeared in 10 games for the Mets this season and pitched to a 4.66 ERA, following a spring in which the team slow-walked his buildup in hopes of preserving his elbow.

Last season, Núñez pitched to a 2.31 ERA in 25 appearances for the team as a key midseason addition before he was shut down by elbow discomfort.

“He gave it a try,” Mendoza said before the Mets faced the Royals on Saturday. “This is something that he dealt with last year and missed the rest of the season. He rehabbed the whole year, worked extremely hard, put himself in a position where he came in healthy in spring training … for him to go down is unfortunate.”

Núñez, 29, is the third Mets reliever whose season will end with surgery.

Earlier this season A.J. Minter and Danny Young were lost to surgeries. Minter underwent surgery for a torn lat and Young had Tommy John surgery.

The Mets bullpen could receive a boost after the All-Star break, with lefty Brooks Raley nearing completion of his rehab assignment. Raley underwent Tommy John surgery last year and in April re-signed with the Mets.