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Matz becomes club’s 7th pitcher to hit DL this season

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The Mets' miserable season continued on Friday afternoon as the team placed Steven Matz on the 10-day disabled list with a flexor pronator strain in his left arm. The move is retroactive to Aug. 1.

The team recalled Corey Oswalt from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Matz.

With the move, Matz became the seventh Met pitcher to go on the DL at some point this season. Matz experienced forearm tightness in the first inning – his only inning – of the Mets' 25-4 shellacking against the Nationals on Tuesday. An MRI on Thursday reported a mild strain in the left-hander's throwing forearm, showing inflammation but no structural damage.

azseve, a leaves Zack Wheeler as the only member of the Mets' starting rotation to not spend any time on the DL so far this season.

Jason Vargas and Noah Syndergaard each had a pair of stints on the DL, while ace Jacob deGrom missed a start in May with a hyperextended right elbow. Wheeler has avoided injury so far, though he started the season in Triple-A Las Vegas, which means no member of the Mets' Opening Day rotation has survived the year with the Mets unscathed.

Matt Harvey was traded to Cincinnati in May and Seth Lugo has spent most of the season in the bullpen.

Matz, 27, has been plagued by inconsistency this season, going 5-9 with a 4.35 ERA in 21 starts so far. He struggled in April, posting an ERA of nearly 5, but had lowered his

o . y ear y u y. Since the All-Star break he has a 12.34 ERA in three starts, including his sevenrun, 0.2-inning outing in Tuesday's loss.

Matz had been scheduled to start on Sunday against the Braves, but Oswalt will take his place.

The 24-year-old righthander has pitched in six games for the Mets this year, going 1-2 with a 5.27 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.

“We've seen a little bit of everything,” manager Mickey Callaway said Friday of Oswalt's performances this year. “The last few, he's been really good for me. Those have seemed to be because he's been on more of a routine. Once he's gotten in that routine, we've gotten a good Oswalt.”

Callaway said that he expects Matz to miss just one start.