Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman hasn’t debuted this year because of a tear in his left calf muscle, but the club’s No. 2 starter continues to make progress in his recovery. Stroman got through a four-inning simulated game unscathed on Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday relays.
Manager Luis Rojas said Stroman had “a very productive day,” though it remains unclear when the 29-year-old will be able to rejoin the Mets’ rotation.
Without Stroman, who’s facing a key year as a high-profile pending free agent, the Mets have turned to left-hander David Peterson to fill the void in their starting staff. That has gone well so far, as Peterson turned in 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday. As for the rest of New York’s rotation, back-to-back NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom has been his usual self thus far, and Steven Matz and Michael Wacha have prevented runs with aplomb through a combined three starts. However, Rick Porcello took a beating at the hands of the Braves in his first Mets start last Sunday. Porcello’s back on the mound in Atlanta on Friday.
Elsewhere on the Mets’ roster, the club has placed catcher Rene Rivera on the 10-day injured list with a hyperextended left (non-throwing) elbow and recalled righty Franklyn Kilome, per Healey. Rivera has joined Tomas Nido in starting one game behind the plate for the Mets this season, but the lion’s share of work has unsurprisingly gone to Wilson Ramos.
Rivera’s injury means the 25-year-old Kilome may get a chance to make his major league debut after working back from October 2018 Tommy John surgery. Kilome, whom the Mets acquired from the Phillies for infielder Asdrubal Cabrera just a few months before he underwent surgery, logged a 4.03 ERA/3.17 FIP with 9.95 K/9 against 2.37 BB/9 over 38 innings in his first action with the New York organization two years ago.
good for Franklyn
Mets should bring up Bruce Maxwell as a extra catcher
No thanks
Latest on Stroman? He’s still a diva.
Has Stroman blamed anyone in Toronto yet for his injury? I’ll go check Twitter, hold up a minute…
Hey Mets fans. I’m curious if you guys have heard any further commotion from Stroman beyond his reaction to his initial trade to NYM? I was surprised when he got a little crazy. He was joining a team that was aiming to compete and he was going to pitch side by side with deGrom, presently baseballs best pitcher.
His latest tweet was critical of the Joe Kelly suspension. (My opinion, not that it is relevant to the subject here, is that it makes no sense under the circumstances. It send the message that no one can take out their frustrations on the Astros’ cheating. given that one pitch missed badly and another was a curve ball. It reminds me of Estes throwing behind Roger Clemens to avenge Mike Piazza being hit. At worst, you toss a guy for repeatedly throwing at player. Maybe you fine him or suspend him for a couple of games if he throws at someone’s head. You don’t sideline a reliever 8 games. The message that needed to be sent was that in the time of COVID-19, you don’t leave the bench. Ever. And, that wasn’t remotely addressed. So much for Chris Young, the enforcer. Princeton grad. Bah!)
But, I digress.
Stroman’s seemed very happy in local interviews here. He and Matz were travel team teammates and pitched for rival high schools on Long Island. I think he was just expecting to go to the Yankees and was initially disappointed. The Mets’ run last year probably helped.
By the time he’s healthy enough to return, the Mets will be shopping him..
Hurt his calf having a cow.