NEW YORK -- Mets pitcher David Peterson?will almost certainly miss the start of the season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, the team announced Wednesday, delivering another blow to New York¡¯s pitching depth.

The procedure, which Peterson underwent Monday in New York, carries a typical recovery timetable of six to seven months. That would sideline the left-hander into early May or June.

According to a person familiar with the situation, the labrum tear is something Peterson has dealt with for years, but he put off surgery because he felt able to pitch without discomfort on many occasions. Other starts proved more challenging for Peterson, who felt some irritation as he began his offseason throwing program at home in Colorado.

Peterson received multiple opinions from doctors before opting for surgery, which explains why he waited a month to undergo the procedure.

No matter how much time Peterson misses, and regardless of his ultimate role on next year¡¯s roster, his absence will be a blow to the organization¡¯s rotation depth. Although Peterson posted a 5.03 ERA over 21 starts and six relief appearances this season, he produced a 3.65 ERA in the second half and was positioned to compete for a rotation spot next spring.

¡°It takes someone who ¡­ I thought was going to be part of the mix for the first half of the season, and now he¡¯s not available,¡± Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said at the GM Meetings in Arizona. ¡°That does change our depth chart. We¡¯ll have to make sure we have sufficient depth. It¡¯s certainly my hope and my expectation that he¡¯s going to be able to play an important role on our team in the second half.¡±

Currently, the Mets only have two rotation locks returning in Kodai Senga and Jos¨¦ Quintana. Other starting pitchers -- including Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jos¨¦ Butto -- remain on the roster as depth options.

That makes investing in additional arms this winter a necessity, as Stearns said earlier this week. The Mets figure to pursue pitchers at the high end of the market -- they are expected to be a strong suitor for Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for example -- as well as the middle and lower tiers.

And at some point, Peterson still figures to play a significant role. Over the past three years, he has averaged 18 starts per season despite frequently bouncing between the Majors and Minors. Overall since the Mets selected him 20th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft, Peterson has gone 18-21 with a 4.51 ERA in 64 career starts and 16 relief appearances.