New York Mets rookie left-hander Steven Matz will be sidelined at least a month due to a partially torn left lat muscle.
Matz received a platelet-rich plasma injection Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, the team announced. The 24-year-old will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks before he will be re-examined.
In a stunning major league debut, Matz beat the Cincinnati Reds on June 28, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs in addition to throwing 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball.
He followed up by firing six shutout innings against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sunday, striking out eight and allowing two hits and two walks.
Through two starts for the Mets, Matz is 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA, 14 strikeouts and five walks in 13 2/3 innings.
Prior to his call-up in late June, Matz was 7-4 with a 2.19 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) for Triple-A Las Vegas this season. A second-round draft pick in 2009, Matz underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010. Since beginning his pro career in 2012, he is 24-20 with a 2.28 ERA in 66 minor league appearances (65 starts).