ST. LOUIS — Zack Wheeler is coming to New York, but not to pitch for the Mets.
The team’s top pitching prospect will be examined Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery, after complaining of soreness in his right collarbone on Monday. He has been scratched from his scheduled start on Friday for Triple-A Las Vegas.
“I think we’re being a little bit conservative given who it is and making sure our guys see him right away,” assistant general manager John Ricco said.
Wheeler showed no signs of breakdown in his start on Saturday, when he pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts against Albuquerque. According to a talent evaluator who witnessed the performance, Wheeler was still throwing 97 mph in the eighth inning.
The talent evaluator said the Mets are probably just using caution by bringing Wheeler to New York for examination since there were no red flags that arose during the right-hander’s last performance.
Wheeler has not previously dealt with a collarbone issue, according to Ricco.
“He had not felt anything like that,” Ricco said. “When we heard that, it was kind of an odd area, so we just wanted to make sure.”
Wheeler is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA in eight starts this season for Las Vegas. Last month he underwent an MRI exam on his middle finger after team officials became concerned about a blister that wasn’t disappearing. The blister, which burst during his third start, had prevented Wheeler from getting a good grip on his slider.
mpuma@nypost.com