What It Means:

Lagares, a gold glove winning outfielder, has seen his defense regress this season. His UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating in runs above average - the most telling defensive metric) has suffered mightily, dropping to 0.0 from 18.6 last year, largely in part due to his ARM rating of -1.5. It appears this regression is due to elbow and rib injuries he's suffered from this season. While a Tommy John surgery isn't quite as big of a deal to a position player than it is a pitcher, it would still take him at least six months to recover from. If he is forced to miss significant time, Darrell Ceciliani will see some more run, and Mets top prospect Michael Conforto could get a taste of the big leagues earlier than expected.