Szapucki (arm) was scratched from the Arizona Fall League roster after ending the season on the 7-day injured list with Double-A Binghamton, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
It was a very successful first full season back from Tommy John surgery for the 23-year-old southpaw, but it ends on an ominous note. He logged a 2.63 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 72:26 K:BB in 61.2 innings across stops at Low-A, High-A and Double-A. Szapucki will need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, which is why the Mets pushed him aggressively to the upper levels of the minors. A Mets official told Healey that they are "going to give his arm a rest for a little while", so there is not necessarily an actual injury, it may just be general soreness for a pitcher who just set a career high in innings pitched. If he comes to camp healthy, Szapucki will likely open the year back at Double-A and could be an option to join the big-league rotation later in the summer.