NEW YORK (AP) — Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler has a torn elbow ligament, a blow to a team hoping to compete for a playoff berth following Matt Harvey's return from Tommy John surgery.

If Wheeler needs elbow ligament-replacement surgery, he likely would be out until early during the 2016 season.

The Mets said Wheeler had an MRI exam Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The scan was reviewed Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and he was preliminarily diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

New York said Wheeler was to travel Monday to New York today to "confirm the diagnosis" and discuss with team medical director Dr. David Altchek on how to proceed.

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