Report: Mets end Tebow's Triple-A season due to cut on finger

It appears Tim Tebow's disappointing season in Triple-A has come to an early end.

The New York Mets have shut down the former Heisman-winning quarterback and current minor-league outfielder for the rest of 2019 due to a deep cut on his left pinkie finger, sources told Newsday's Tim Healey.

Tebow hasn't played for the Syracuse Mets since July 21 when he sustained the cut that sent him to the injured list. The Mets reportedly don't believe Tebow will be able to return before the minor-league season ends in early September, and he's left the team to work out on his own.

The Mets fully anticipate he'll attend next season's spring training and play his fourth campaign on the diamond in 2020, Healy reports.

Tebow, who turns 32 next week, made progress at Double-A in 2018, but this year represented a major step backward. He was one of the worst hitters in the International League in 2019, posting a .163/.240/.255 line with four homers, 10 doubles, and 98 strikeouts in 264 plate appearances for Syracuse.

Since leaving his NFL career behind to join the Mets in 2016, Tebow has advanced quickly through the team's farm system, albeit with limited on-field success to show for it. Despite earning an All-Star berth in Double-A last year, Tebow owns a career .223/.299/.338 slash line in 287 games across four minor-league levels.

Tebow has now seen two consecutive seasons cut short by injuries after he suffered a broken hand last July.