Next up for Brooks Raley is a visit to Texas on Tuesday to see Dr. Keith Meister.
Beyond that, the Mets lefty doesn’t know what awaits.
He is hoping the doctor’s appointment will clear up a lot of questions.
Raley, who has been on the injured list since April 21, said he has received several different opinions on his throwing elbow and his situation is “a little more complex.”
The Post’s Joel Sherman reported last week that Raley has at least a fraying of a ligament in the elbow. Raley acknowledged that he has heard the same, and has heard other potential diagnoses from doctors.
“I’ve heard other damage — spurs, things like that,” Raley said Saturday in his first public comments since the fears about his elbow became pronounced. “I think it’s a little more complex.”
Raley mentioned both the internal brace procedure and Tommy John as at least possibilities if Meister believes a surgery is necessary.
Such developments would be crushing for a pitcher who turns 36 next month, was drafted back in 2009 — the same year as Stephen Strasburg — and had emerged as a quality arm in the back of the Mets’ bullpen.
Raley last pitched on April 19 in Los Angeles, which followed a homestand when his elbow began to bother him, and it “got gradually worse,” he said.
The initial belief was Raley would need just the minimum amount of time on the 15-day IL because preliminary MRI exam results showed inflammation and nothing worse.
“Get a few more eyes on it, they’re like, ‘Hold on a second,’ ” Raley said before the Mets lost to the Braves, 4-1, at Citi Field on Saturday.
Raley tried to throw through the issue, but his elbow didn’t feel right.
He has been shut down and is hoping the inflammation will settle to a point that he can continue pitching without a procedure that would jeopardize the rest of his career.
The Mets hold a $6.5 million option for Raley for next season.
Adding to the uncertainty is the uncharted territory for Raley, who has been playing professionally for 15 years and said he has never encountered a major elbow issue.
Asked about his own emotions, Raley said: “I’m not there yet. I’m just day by day.”
Without their most trusted southpaw in the bullpen, the Mets have made it work.
Their pen entered play Saturday as the second-most valuable in baseball, per FanGraphs’ WAR tabulations, and a collective 2.80 ERA.
Jake Diekman is the only lefty in the bullpen, but manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned that he trusts plenty of his righty relievers against lefty hitters.
Sean Reid-Foley, in particular, has been a nice find thus far and entered play holding opposing lefties to a 1-for-9 line with six strikeouts and two walks.
Adam Ottavino had limited opposing lefties to a .130 batting average.
Their bullpen has not been the problem, but the loss of a potent lefty would be felt at some point.
Raley was excellent in his first season with the Mets last year after coming over from the Rays in a trade and began this season without allowing a run and giving up just two hits in seven innings.
“Hopefully we get Brooksie at some point this year,” Mendoza said.
The Mets and Raley believe they will have clarity this week after a visit with Meister.
“We’re just trying to make a wise decision,” Raley said.
