September is the earliest possible date for Ronny Mauricio to rejoin the Mets.
The team revealed on Tuesday that Mauricio had surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee, which he suffered while competing in the Dominican Winter League last month.
Dr. David Altchek carried out the operation on Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
The Mets also mentioned that it usually takes 8 to 12 months following the treatment to return to play.
On December 10, Mauricio, 22, tore his ACL while trying to steal second base for Licey in the Dominican Republic.
Mauricio was seen by the Mets as a potential candidate to challenge Brett Baty for the starting third base position during spring training.
As Mauricio is out, the management of the squad may consider bringing in a third party, like Justin Turner or Gio Urshela, who could fill in at least part-time.