Justin Verlander’s tenure with the Mets got off to an unfortunate start when the veteran righty was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a teres major strain. The injury was described as “low-grade” in the Mets’ initial release, and a source tells SNY TV’s Andy Martino that Verlander’s strain is “very minor.” More will officially be known when Verlander undergoes a follow-up MRI next week, but it does seem like the ace might be able to be activated from the IL when first eligible. That could mean a home start against the Padres on April 11 or 12, or just out of added precaution, the Mets might wait to activate Verlander until April 14 when the team visits Oakland.
More from around the NL East….
- Kyle Wright is slated to throw a start at Triple-A on Wednesday, Braves manager Brian Snitker told The Atlanta Journal-Constiution’s Justin Toscano and other reporters. The team’s initial plan was to give Wright both a minor league outing and an outing in spring camp as he continues to make his preparations for the season, and Wright checked one box with a start in extended Spring Training last Thursday. Due to an offseason cortisone shot in his throwing shoulder, Wright’s normal winter routine was set back, and thus the Braves placed him on the IL to allow him more time to fully ramp up. Assuming no setbacks, Wright is projected to be activated from the IL during Atlanta’s series with the Reds from April 10-12.
- There hasn’t been any public buzz about Dallas Keuchel’s market since the former AL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Rangers back in September, but the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies had some interest in signing Keuchel to a minor league deal, though no official offer came. Keuchel has struggled to a 6.35 ERA over 222 2/3 innings with the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Rangers since the start of the 2021 season, so it would be something of a low-risk flier for the Phillies or any other team to bring Keuchel aboard on a minors contract. While Keuchel might not be the choice, it certainly tracks that Philadelphia would be looking for some rotation depth, since Ranger Suarez, Nick Nelson, Cristopher Sanchez, and Andrew Painter are all battling injuries to begin the season.
- The Nationals and Kevin Plawecki agreed to terms on a minor league deal earlier today, and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes that the move was inspired by Israel Pineda’s IL placement. Pineda suffered a fractured finger and was placed on the 10-day IL, leaving the Nats short some catching depth at Triple-A Rochester. Plawecki now joins Francisco Arcia on the Red Wings’ roster, providing support behind Washington’s big-league catching tandem of starter Keibert Ruiz and backup Riley Adams.
Verlander (who turned 40 in Feb) threw 175 innings + playoffs after a two years of not throwing at all. Eppler and Cohen need their heads examined for giving him that contract
Cohen is the ‘decider.’
Teres major nothing to do with rotator cuff. He has a pulled muscle. After watching JV, Scherzer, and deGrom last season I believe JV has the best outlook for 2023 if he can get back on the mound this month.
I am sure that was told to the Houston Astros last year. He spent time on the IR last year too. Well that makes you the smartest tool in the box
You’re not smart.
Dumb as a bag of hammers.
But you are a tool.
So there’s that.
The Mets going have to skip Scherzer and Verlander several times during the season to keep them fresh for the post season. I was shocked that the Mets didn’t try and get younger with signing. Just feels like that the Mets didn’t get a whole lot better 2023 compared to 2022
Mets, postseason, lol.
LOL
Anything involving the rotator cuff is bad.
First Gary Sanchez off the scrap heap and now Dallas Keuchel’s
Who next ?
I want him to come back. One more dfa and he’ll hold the record.
@Logistics Guy Im surprised that Mike Leake or Brett Gardner haven’t gotten any attention thus far
Volpe took Gardy’s number. He can’t come back.
He can come back to another team.
Gardy took Fred ‘Chicken’ Stanley’s number. An abomination, in my estimation.
Matt Harvey? Cole Hamels?
Have you seen the Ukrainian women ads? No wonder the Russians are invading.
Yep. 100% LOL!
I know he was never a big velocity guy but Keuchel was down to 84mph last year.
jamie Moyer Made it work at the major league level just saying Throwing mid to low eighties towards the end. If you still have command and off speed stuff lower than your fastball theoretically it should work
Jamie Moyer made a career of it though. He was always a finesse pitcher. Guys losing velocity can’t suddenly change their whole game.
That’s a fair point. I guess it comes down to the basics of your actual skill level when your velocity doesn’t get you by like it used to. If the guy below us is right , he’s only 52 away from the full pension. It might be worth his while to try something different, not to say that he isn’t already. I know jamie moyer is an outlier But he got by with the fastball averaging around 82 miles an hour at the end. I would think it would be more advantageous nowadays because most people are throwing Upper nineties to a 100. You see it every game from someone. Maybe a good pitching coach can get him To be effective Enough to get those fifty two days that he needs
???
See Tanana, Frank.
Keuchel is 52 days short of a full mlb pension. He should consider re inventing himself with a sidearm submarine style of pitching.Early in his career in the mid 90s Tiger Mike Myers’threw overhand and the lefty was getting pounded.Tiger broadcaster Al Kalinie convinced Myers’s to try dropping down..It worked as Myers hung around another 10 yrs.
That’s interesting and holds a lot of weight to Him i didn’t know that
Al Kaline was the man!
He’s made $99 million dollars as an MLB pitcher. If he needs a pension he’s an incredible idiot. Jake Peavy did lose all his money but he wasted all the time.
Interesting to know. I wonder if a team like the Rockies could milk that for publicity: “can the vet perform well enough for his pension?”
The Phillies or any of the other 29 teams possess many milb pitchers that would be more effective than Keuchel. Any pitcher that has the ability to start a game at AA or AAA level should get the call before he does. Absolutely washed up.
In the first 2 games of the season, a dead dog would be more effective than the Phillies pitching.
I would double down on the Red Sox pitching not only are they getting lit up the orioles had 10 stolen bases in 2 games they’re not even holding anybody on. The catcher hasn’t even had a shot on more than half
It’s just two games and these things will even out, but it’s been brutal.
But they’ve been playing in Texas and we all know how the ball flies there when it’s hot. ‘Checks calendar’ oh wait…
The Phillies haven’t won in Arlington since 2014. Something about that stadium.
There is no such thing as “low grade” and needing an MRI
When you’re making $43M, there’s plenty of reasons to be sure of the degree of injury right away. What does an MRI cost a team, $100?
Yeah. With his contract, they’d give him an MRI for a hangnail.
The hospital charged my insurance $8k for the last one I had. Do teams get a volume discount?
$8k is penny ante for MLB teams. And the same even for any players no longer on their rookie contracts.
Yanks should sign Keuchel, make him shave the frikken beard, then drop him before he gets the pension.
Heh heh heh heh…
That’s just evil
Sadly, i think Keuchel is done. He had nothing in the tank last year at all
Dude made $99 million. He’s good.
I hope Verlander comes back soon, he still needs 56 wins for 300, and he could be the last to do it, although time is running out. Have a great day.
Verlander already wilting from the pressure of playing in NY. He should try Atlanta where the pressure is off