Category: Major League Baseball
Steven Matz has bone spur in left elbow
New York Daily News reporter Kristie Ackert has heard from multiple Mets sources that Steven Matz is dealing with a bone spur in his left elbow. Matz who has been dealing with elbow discomfort over his past couple of starts has been cleared of any structrual damage with his throwing elbow by a doctor, but it appears he is dealing with a spur.
The 25-year old left-hander could certainly pitch through the injury and have surgery in the offseason, but it is all dependent on pain tolerance and whether that pain would impact his performance. The club could also opt to have Matz go under the knife immediately, but at that point he would be sidelined and unable to throw for six weeks.
No decision has been made by either Matz or the organization regarding his elbow, so we will be in wait and see mode over the next couple of days. It is certainly concerning however as Matz has shown vulnerability to injury over his brief stint with the Mets thus far, and you can imagine the Mets are going to do their due diligence before making a decision on the rookie left-hander. If Matz were to miss his start on Wednesday night you could expect either Logan Verrett or Sean Gilmartin to receive the start in his place.
Mets Tidbits:
- Cuban free agent third baseman Yulieski Gourriel held his private workout with the Mets today at the Mets facility in Port St. Lucie. Gourriel who is widely regarded as the best player in Cuba, held a private workout with the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. In 15 seasons played between Cuba and Japan, Gourriel has hit .335 with a .417 OBP, .580 slugging percentage and 250 HR in 5,491 plate appearances. Former teammate and current Met Yoenis Cespedes has heavily campaigned for the Mets to sign Gourriel. It is estimated that the 32-year old Cuban could ask for between $10-11 million annually, and it is unknown if the Mets will meet that price tag. Gourriel posted the picture above on his personal Instagram account today.
- The New York Mets are on the fence as to whether Steven Matz will make his next scheduled start on Wednesday night against the Washington Nationals. Matz who has been examined by a doctor, has no structural damage in the left elbow but is still feeling discomfort. You can imagine the Mets and manager Terry Collins are going to play it safe with their prized rookie left-hander, but we should know an exact status on Matz by tomorrow.
- Manager Terry Collins has indicated before tonight’s game that former shortstop now turned utility player, Jose Reyes will play his final game with the Low-A Brooklyn Cyclones tonight before moving his minor league assignment to Double-A Binghamton tomorrow. It is widely expected that Reyes will spend between 7-10 days in the minors working out at third base and in the outfield before making his return to the Major League roster. In Reyes first action yesterday for Brooklyn he played third base and went 0-3 at the plate with a walk. Reyes is expected to be inserted immediately into the leadoff spot upon his arrival to the Mets.
- In sort-of related Mets news, the Washington Nationals announced that right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito will be recalled from Double-A tomorrow night to face the Mets. Giolito is expected to replace Stephen Strasburg while he is on the disabled list. Giolito is widely regarded as the number one prospect in baseball and is ranked as the number one overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com. The Mets however have faced their fair share of high-end rookie pitchers this year including facing the number two prospect in baseball, Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias.
Lineups & Game Notes: Mets vs. Nationals 7:05 pm et.
New York Mets (40-34):
1. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) CF
4. Neil Walker (S) 2B
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Wilmer Flores (R) 3B
7. Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Noah Syndergaard (L) P
SP: Noah Syndergaard RHP (8-2, 2.08 ERA)
Washington Nationals (44-32):
1. Ben Revere (L) CF
2. Jayson Werth (R) LF
3. Bryce Harper (L) RF
4. Daniel Murphy (L) 2B
5. Wilson Ramos (R) C
6. Ryan Zimmerman (R) 1B
7. Anthony Rendon (R) 3B
8. Danny Espinosa (S) SS
9. Joe Ross (R) P
SP: Joe Ross RHP (6-4, 3.11 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY & MLB Network.
Game Notes:
METS-NATIONALS NOTES: New York is 58-45 in Washington all-time…The Mets have won five of their last six games in Washington…New York is 8-4 in D.C. since 2015…New York won two of three from the Nats in D.C. from May 23-25.
METS RECORDS: The Mets have won four of their last six games…The Mets are 29-6 when they score four or more runs and 11-28 when they score three or less runs.
BOMBS AWAY: The Mets have hit 14 home runs in their last six games at Nationals Park, including six home runs in three contests this year.
HEY YO: Yoenis Cespedes is hitting .350 (21-60) with three homers and eight RBI over his last 16 games…He has eight multi-hit games in his last 16 contests…is hitting.385 (10-26) with four doubles, three homers and eight RBI in six career games at Nationals Park.
LONEY AIN’T NO PHONEY: James Loney has hit in 13 of his last 14 games, going 17-50 (.340) with four doubles, one triple and one homer during that span…Loney has reached base safely in 16 of his last 17 games and in 21 of the 24 games he’s played with the Mets.
LOCKDOWN: Jeurys Familia has 26 saves, the most in the majors…Is 26- 26 in save opportunities in 2016…Familia has a franchise record with 26 straight saves to open a season…Familia has saved 42 consecutive games in the regular season dating to August 1, 2015, extending a franchise-record…It is also the longest active streak in the major leagues.
ALMIGHTY THOR: Noah Syndergaard has won six straight decisions dating to May 11 and he has posted a 1.71 ERA during that stretch…Syndergaard reached 100 strikeouts this year in 81.1 innings, the fastest in team history by innings…Syndergaard is fourth in the majors with a 2.08 ERA and averages the fastest fastball (98.1), slider (91.3) and change-up (90.1) this year.
THOR VS. WASHINGTON: Has faced Washington once this season and four times in his career… Is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA in four career starts against Washington… Has struck out 33 and walked six…His 33 strikeouts against the Nationals are the most versus any team he has faced…His 1.33 ERA against the Nationals is his second-lowest versus any team he has faced more than once.
METS VS. ROSS: Joe Ross has made two career starts against the Mets and is 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched…Ross has struck out ten and walked one…This is Ross’ first start against the Mets this season…Notable numbers against Ross are provided below…
- Kelly Johnson: .667 (2-3), 1 2B
- Wilmer Flores: .333 (2-6), 1 RBI
- Neil Walker: .333 (1-3), 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Curtis Granderson: .167 (1-6), 2 K
- Yoenis Cespedes: .000 (0-3), 1 K
- Travis d’Arnaud: .000 (0-2), 1 K
Mets vs. Nationals: Round 3
The Mets will head into Washington tonight just three games behind the first place Nationals, which is something many wouldn’t have expected a couple of weeks ago. The Mets have had their fair share of struggles over the past couple of weeks, but the Nationals have been dreadful to say the least over the past week and a half as well. Continue reading
Getting married this week!
Hello fellow bloggers and Mets fans,
My fiancé and I (over 6 1/2 years of being together), are finally tying the knot this weekend! Beginning today I will be partaking in all kinds of fun wedding activities leading up to the big day on Saturday! My fiancé and I will also be going on our honeymoon the following day! Since I will be preparing for the most important week of my life and I won’t be having a computer on me, I will not be blogging for the next two weeks. That covers pretty much the rest of the upcoming homestand, and a couple of games in Atlanta next weekend. I will definitely be checking in on the scores of the games while I’m away and I hope the Mets can turn this thing around! Keep on believin’ Mets fans!
God bless baseball and God bless the New York Mets!
Final Recap: Pirates 4 – Mets 0
The Pittsburgh Pirates (33-31) defeated the New York Mets (34-29) tonight by the final score of 4-0. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Despite being hung with the loss Jacob deGrom pitched a solid game tonight only allowing 2 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings pitched. DeGrom struck out 9 and walked 1. His lone mistake was a 2-run home run allowed to Jung Ho Kang.
- Matt Reynolds was 1-3 and accounted for the Mets only extra base hit of the evening, a double in the bottom of the 9th.
- The Mets only had 3 hits on the evening.
- Starling Marte hit a 2-run home run off Jim Henderson in the top of the 8th.
Well tonight the Pirates continued where they left off in dominating the Mets, as the Mets dropped their tenth game out of their past eleven played against the Pirates. The Pirates came into this series struggling, and you could not tell by the way they played tonight. You have to wonder if there is a psychological edge that the Pirates hold over the Mets, because the Mets have simply had no answer it seems besides once over the last eleven games played. While the offense is struggling due to missing a couple of key pieces, tonight’s regulars were simply chewed up by Pirates starter Jameson Taillion on the evening, as he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Mets will face two struggling starting pitchers over the next two days, including Juan Nicasio who shut the Mets down last Tuesday. The way the offense is producing and the way the Pirates have handled the Mets, it’s tough to be optimistic the rest of this series.
Right now simply put the Mets are a wounded bunch. It feels eerily similar to last June with how the offense is sputtering and injuries are taking a toll on the roster. Unfortunately the Mets are going to have to fight their way out of this as there is no saving grace coming their way in the way of another impact bat currently. The team is going to have to get healthy, but for now they need to start playing with a chip on their shoulder like the defending National Champions that they are. The offense needs to find ways to get creative to score runs as well, as many of our fears have come to light as to what the Mets offense would look like when they don’t hit home runs. This offense is still talented enough to be putting enough runs on the board and they need to figure out ways to do that before it gets uglier than it already has.
- The Mets will play the second game of their three game series with the Pirates tomorrow evening with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 pm et. You can watch tomorrow’s game on SNY.
- Noah Syndergaard (6-2, 2.00 ERA) will face the Pirates for the second start in a row and square off with struggling Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke (5-4, 5.38 ERA).
Mets Tidbits:
- Outfielder Michael Conforto was diagnosed by doctors with sprained cartilage in his left wrist and is not in tonight’s lineup. Conforto received a cortisone shot and the hope is he will return to the Mets lineup in the next couple of days. It has been a rough few weeks for the 23-year old outfielder who has been in a miserable slump and is now dealing with a wrist injury. Hopefully when Michael returns to the lineup we will see the old Michael we saw last season and the beginning of this season.
- ESPN’s Adam Rubin is reporting that Doctor Robert Watkins, who has been treating David Wright, is currently consulting with Mets doctors about whether Wright may go under the knife soon as opposed to him rehabbing the herniated disk in his neck. If Wright were to opt for surgery, you could basically right off the rest of Wright’s season. It would leave big shoes to fill in both the lineup and the clubhouse for the Mets, and it would be interesting to see if the Mets entered the trade market for another impact bat, or enter themselves in the Yulieski Gourriel sweepstakes.
- Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud will be activated off of the disabled list next Tuesday when the Mets open up a two game series at home against the Kansas City Royals. The 27-year old catcher has begun catching at his rehab assignment in Port St. Lucie over the last two games and should be ready to go in a week, provided there are no setbacks. D’Arnaud’s return should provide a boost to a struggling Mets lineup, and could signal the demotion of Kevin Plawecki to Triple-A.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson stated before tonight’s game that Zack Wheeler will pitch an inning in a simulated game with the Gulf Coast League team next week. Provided everything goes as planned, Wheeler will then begin his rehab assignment after that appearance. It’s certainly exciting news for the Mets as it seems they haven’t had much of it lately. Wheeler has been on the shelf for 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery and is expected to return after the All-Star Break.
Lineups & Game Notes: Pirates vs. Mets 7:10 pm et.
Pittsburgh Pirates (32-31):
1. John Jaso (L) 1B
2. Andrew McCutchen (R) CF
3. Gregory Polanco (L) RF
4. Starling Marte (R) LF
5. Jung Ho Kang (R) 3B
6. Josh Harrison (R) 2B
7. Jordy Mercer (R) SS
8. Chris Stewart (R) C
9. Jameson Taillon (R) P
SP: Jameson Taillon RHP (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
New York Mets (34-28):
1. Alejandro De Aza (L) LF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
4. Yoenis Cespedes (R) CF
5. Kelly Johnson (L) 2B
6. Wilmer Flores (R) 3B
7. James Loney (L) 1B
8. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
9. Jacob deGrom (L) P
SP: Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.80 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.
Game Notes:
PIRATES-METS NOTES: The Mets are 3-7 in their last 10 home games vs. the Pirates dating back to 2013…The Mets are 1-9 in their last 10 games against the Pirates, winning their last match-up on June 8 at PNC Park… The Mets went 0-6 vs. Pittsburgh in 2015.
AN OFF DAY IS A GOOD DAY: The Mets 8-0 after a scheduled off day this year and have scored an average of 6 runs in those eight wins.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: New York begins an eight-game homestand tonight… The Mets are 14-8 in their last 22 games at Citi Field and 15-12 at home overall this season.
FAMILIA RESULTS: Jeurys Familia has 21 saves, the most in the majors… Is 21-21 in save opportunities in 2016…Familia has saved 37 consecutive games in the regular season dating to August 1, 2015, extending a franchise-record…It is the second-longest active streak in the major leagues (Arizona’s Brad Ziegler has saved 41 straight opportunities)…Familia’s 21 consecutive saves to open the season is the second-longest streak to open a season in franchise history (Armando Benitez 24 in 2001 holds the record).
DEGROMINATION: Since his major league debut on May 15, 2014, deGrom’s 2.64 ERA is the fourth-best mark in the major leagues…He is 13-7 with a 1.90 ERA) in 30 starts at Citi Field…His 1.92 home ERA is the third-lowest in the majors since 2014 among pitchers with at least 150 innings.
DEGROM VS. PIRATES: DeGrom is facing Pittsburgh in back-to-back starts and has never beaten the Pirates…In three career starts, he is 0-1 with a 2.33 ERA with 17 strikeouts and eight walks…He has never pitched more than 6.2 innings against Pittsburgh.
GO WITH THE FLO: Wilmer Flores is hitting .406 (13-32) with three runs scored, three doubles and three RBI in 10 games since replacing David Wright as the starting third baseman…He has a .459 OBP in that span.
THE GRANDYMAN IS HOT: Curtis Granderson has three homers, four RBI, one double, one triple, five runs scored and is hitting .320 (8-25) with a .414 OBP since June 7…Granderson’s next leadoff homer will set the franchise mark, as he is tied with Jose Reyes with 16 leadoff home runs.
METS VS. TAILLON: Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon will face the Mets in back-to-back starts which also marks his second career major league start…He was involved in a no decision in his last start on June 8 while pitching 6 innings, and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits…He walked 2 and struck out 3…Taillon is ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Pirates system and was taken 2nd overall in the 2010 MLB Draft…Notable numbers against Taillon are provided below…
- Yoenis Cespedes: .333 (1-3)
- Asdrubal Cabrera: .333 (1-3), 1 2B
- James Loney: .333 (1-3), 1 K
- Alejandro De Aza: .000 (0-2), K
Mets will look to turn page on next homestand.
The Mets had a promising beginning to the previous ten-game road trip they embarked on by starting the trip with two straight victories over the Miami Marlins. The offense then went anemic after facing Jose Fernandez in the final game, and it carried into the doubleheader in Pittsburgh. The team then seemed to put it all together in the final game against the Pirates as they fought back from being swept, and then took the first two games from the Brewers in their four game series. The final two games against the Brewers however can be described as sloppy at best as they lost in disappointing fashion.
Now the Mets return home with the same questions that they had faced before hitting the road almost two weeks ago. Continue reading
Mets Tidbits:
- Catcher Travis d’Arnaud made his first appearance behind the plate last night on his current rehab assignment. D’Arnaud caught 7 innings last night for Port St. Lucie at Dunedin. He went 2-4 with a double, one run scored, two RBI’s and one walk. He allowed two stolen bases. D’Arnaud is hitting .273 (6-22) with four RBI and five walks in five rehab games with Port St. Lucie. He was placed on the 15-Day DL on April 26 with a right rotator cuff strain. Manager Terry Collins expects d’Arnaud to return in”7-8 days,” and he is expected to catch a full nine innings with Port St. Lucie tomorrow, before moving his rehab assignment to a higher affiliate.
- Manager Terry Collins is sitting outfielder Michael Conforto today due to wrist soreness. While the injury isn’t believed to be serious, Collins believes the day off could provide the struggling Conforto some good both physically and mentally. Collins told the media that he will put Conforto back in the starting lineup when they resume play on Tuesday.
- Second baseman Neil Walker is not in today’s lineup after leaving yesterday’s game in the third inning with a lower-back injury. Walker is taking anti-inflammatory medication in hopes that he can return to the field as soon as Tuesday, after the Mets day off tomorrow.
Above The Mendoza 