The New York Mets have shut down Zack Wheeler for two weeks after he suffered a setback in his quest to return from Tommy John surgery.

Wheeler was diagnosed with a mildly strained flexor muscle by Dr. James Andrews. Wheeler will stop throwing and receive a platelet-rich plasma injection.

John Ricco did not declare that Wheeler's latest setback will prevent him from reaching the Major Leagues this season, but he noted time is no longer on Wheeler's side.

"The reality is two weeks takes you to the beginning of September," Ricco said. "So I'm not going to jump to that at this point, but the clock is certainly ticking."

Wheeler underwent Tommy John surgery on March 24, 2015.

The Mets originally eyed July 1 for Wheeler's return to the majors, but three setbacks have seriously derailed those plans.