Noah Syndergaard Leaves Rehab Start With Elbow Soreness
8:03pm: Syndergaard will have an MRI, but the Mets don’t seem overly concerned about his status, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
6:47pm: Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard was supposed to throw at least four innings in a Low-A rehab start on Tuesday, but he exited after tossing just one frame. The Mets have since announced that Syndergaard left “for precautionary reasons due to right elbow soreness” (via Tim Britton of The Athletic).
Syndergaard is working his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2020, making this news especially troubling. It’s also another unsettling development for an injury-riddled Mets team that has a slew of other important players on the IL, including two of Syndergaard’s fellow rotation members in Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker.
If this doesn’t prove to be another serious health problem for Syndergaard, he’ll serve as a key summer reinforcement for a New York team that currently has a tenuous hold on the National League East lead. The hard-throwing 28-year-old has enjoyed a terrific career with the Mets going back to 2015, having pitched to a 3.31 ERA with a 26.4 percent strikeout rate, a 5.6 percent walk rate and a 49.1 percent groundball rate across 716 innings. Unfortunately, Syndergaard hasn’t taken a major league mound since Sept. 29, 2019. On a personal level, Syndergaard is facing a pivotal season as a free agent-to-be, making it all the more important that he’ll recover quickly from this issue.
Brewers Claim Jake Hager
The Brewers announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed infielder/outfielder Jake Hager off waivers from the Mets, who’d designated him for assignment over the weekend. Hager has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville. Milwaukee had space on its 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary.
Hager, 28, made his big league debut with the Mets in 2021, going 1-for-8 in a brief five-game stint. This will be his second stint with the Brewers organization, having spent the 2018-19 seasons with Milwaukee’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.
Hager has spent the bulk of his career at shortstop, although he’s begun to diversify his defensive repertoire in recent seasons. The Mets, due in no small part to the rash of injuries they’ve incurred at the big league level, got Hager some work in the outfield corners and even trotted him out to center for one game with their Triple-A affiliate. Hager has just 67 innings of outfield work in his professional career but has ample experience at all four infield positions.
Mets Exploring Trade Market As Injuries Mount
With the Mets reeling due to a massive slate of injuries, they’re not waiting until the trade deadline to look for ways to help their roster. Acting general manager Zack Scott told reporters prior to last night’s game that he’s in active pursuit of reinforcements (links via Newsday’s Laura Albanese and The Athletic’s Tim Britton).
“I’m pretty much on the phone all day, every day,” Scott said prior to a game which saw the Mets incur yet another injury, when Johneshwy Fargas sustained a sprained AC joint in his shoulder upon crashing into the center field fence. “We’ve got to find the best solutions, always. … We’re trying to find the best internal options and the best external options and trying to get the best out of the guys that we have
The Mets have been hit with a near-unfathomable slate of outfield injuries, some of the soft-tissue variety that have been on the uptick in 2021 throughout the league but many freak injuries that are entirely unforeseeable. Fargas becomes the second Mets outfielder to injure himself colliding with the wall in center field, joining Albert Almora Jr. in that regard. Kevin Pillar was struck in the face by a fastball last week, leading to multiple nasal fractures that required surgery. Brandon Nimmo is currently being plagued by a nerve issue in his left hand that forced a recent minor league rehab assignment to be halted. Meanwhile, the Mets revealed last night that both Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil will likely be out until late June, as the hamstring strains that sent them both to the injured list have proven to be “significant.”
At this point, the Mets are a catcher injury shy of having legitimate MLB-caliber starting lineup on the IL. Pete Alonso, McNeil, Luis Guillorme, J.D. Davis, Pillar, Nimmo and Conforto represent a better foundation for a lineup than many rebuilding clubs around the league trot out on a nightly basis.
Unfortunately for the Mets, this is also happening at a time when most clubs aren’t yet ready to throw in the towel on their season. Save for a few clubs who entered the year knowing the 2021 season wouldn’t be a competitive one — Pirates, Tigers, Orioles, etc. — teams generally wait until further into the summer to determine their trade deadline direction.
Even those clear sellers may prefer to wait a bit longer, as the demand for the players they plan to market will likely increase along with the number of motivated buyers. Many of today’s front offices seemingly prefer to wait until the eleventh hour and choose not to start dealing until the deadline is just days or even hours away. The Nationals’ remarkable turnaround in 2019 likely only further dissuades clubs from becoming early sellers.
“It’s harder to assess, to address your needs in May or early June, than it is when everyone’s kind of in that (trade deadline) mode,” Scott said last night. At the same time, there’s urgency for the Mets to act now, to the extent possible. “[T]he risk of waiting given all our injuries is that we’re in a different spot and not where we want to be come the end of July,” Scott added.
The Mets, improbably, remain in first place in the National League East in spite of their litany of injuries and a -14 run differential. They can hardly be expected to maintain that standing with the skeleton crew they’re running out on a nightly basis, but Scott and team president Sandy Alderson face an uphill battle in terms of prying meaningful help away from another club at this point in the schedule.
Injury Notes: Buxton, Mets, A’s, Cards
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton could be ready for a rehab assignment near the end of the week, manager Rocco Baldelli told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and other reporters. Buxton has been out since May 7 with a hip strain, the latest of an unfortunate number of injuries he has dealt with since his career began in 2015. The 27-year-old was off to a jaw-dropping start this season with a .370/.408/.772 line, nine home runs and five stolen bases in 98 plate appearances before his IL placement, making him the brightest spot on a Minnesota team that has surprisingly gone from contender to calamity.
- The Mets didn’t need another injury to an outfielder, but they got one Monday: Johneshwy Fargas departed their game against the Rockies with a left AC joint sprain, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. The team just promoted Fargas a week ago when it placed fellow outfielder Michael Conforto on the injured list (he’ll be out until late June with a hamstring strain), and Fargas has since been its go-to option in center. The 26-year-old has fared well with a .286/.286/.524 line in 22 plate appearances, but he may now be on his way to the IL. The Mets’ outfield is already without Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr.
- Athletics left-hander Jesus Luzardo is going on a Triple-A rehab start Thursday and looks to be closing in on a return to the big league club, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The question is whether Luzardo, who fractured his left hand in a video game-related accident at the beginning of the month, will start or relieve when he returns. The promising 23-year-old got off to a rocky start this season with a 5.79 ERA in 28 innings prior to landing on the IL.
- Cardinals southpaw reliever Andrew Miller will begin a rehab stint Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat tweets. St. Louis will have a better idea of a return date later this week. The Cardinals have gone since April 29 without Miller, whom they sent to the IL with a right foot issue. The once-marvelous Miller, 36, got off to a tough start this year with 7 1/3 innings of 12-hit, seven-run pitching and eight strikeouts against four walks before going on the IL.
Latest On Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil
The Mets placed outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil on the injured list on May 17, but both players are going to miss much more time than the 10-day minimum. Mets acting general manager Zack Scott said Monday that Conforto and McNeil have “significant hamstring strains” that will shelve them until late June, per Laura Albanese of Newsday.
Conforto has largely been an offensive standout with the Mets since he debuted in 2015, but this news continues a difficult platform season for the 28-year-old. He’s off to a so-so start (by his standards) with a .230/.356/.336 line and a pair of home runs in 135 plate appearances. It’ll now be several more weeks before Conforto can try to rebound in advance of a potential trip to free agency.
The Mets’ outfield, meanwhile, is in a tattered state. Along with Conforto, they’re down Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. – all of whom have been on the IL for at least a week. As a result, the team is forced to rely on a starting alignment of Cameron Maybin, Johneshwy Fargas and Khalil Lee in the grass. It’s obviously not ideal for New York, but the club is nonetheless up a game and a half in the National League East.
Like Conforto, McNeil hasn’t been at the top of his game this year, though he was enjoying a solid month prior to his IL placement. Overall, the 29-year-old has batted .242/.336/.374 with three home runs over 113 trips to the plate, and the versatile McNeil has been the Mets’ No. 1 choice at the keystone. Jose Peraza and Jonathan Villar have also racked up at least a handful of starts there, but the latter has mostly handed third base since another of New York’s top hitters – J.D. Davis – landed on the IL on May 2 with a sprained left hand.
Mets Notes: Carrasco, Yamamoto, Pillar, Nimmo
Carlos Carrasco is still weeks away at the minimum from returning to make his Mets’ debut, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). Jordan Yamamoto, one of the candidates to keep Carrasco’s rotation spot warm, left his start today with right shoulder soreness, per Healey. Today was just Yamamoto’s second appearance of the season and his first start. He took the loss surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts. The rotation is not the only area of concern for the first-place Mets, however…
- Kevin Pillar underwent surgery to repair his broken nose on Friday, but he could be ready for baseball activities as early as next week, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Pillar suffered a gruesome injury back on May 17th, taking a direct hit from a Jacob Webb fastball. The Mets centerfield depth chart has been decimated in the early going with Pillar, Brandon Nimmo, and Albert Almora landing on the injured list. Johneshwy Fargas has been the starter in center since Pillar went down, holding his own through 18 plate appearances thanks to three extra-base hits and solid glovework.
- Nimmo, the opening day starter in center, remains out due to a frustrating finger injury that just won’t go away. “It’s been extremely frustrating, because obviously when it happened I thought this might be a few days,” said Nimmo, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. A rehab assignment was shut down when pain returned, and Nimmo and the Mets continue to wait for the finger to be pain free before sending him out on another assignment.
Jacob deGrom To Start On Tuesday
TODAY: DeGrom will start against the Rockies on Tuesday, Mets manager Luis Rojas told Newsday’s Tim Healey and other reporters.
MAY 21: Mets ace Jacob deGrom made a minor league rehab start last night, and that one outing looks to be all the right-hander will need. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that the expectation is that deGrom will be activated off the 10-day injured list and make his next start with the big league club. The most likely return date for DeGrom would be on May 25 or 26, when the Mets host the Rockies.
DeGrom’s IL placement was backdated to May 10, after he experienced some tightness in his right side that resulted in deGrom leaving his most recent start after five innings. Since an MRI came back clean, deGrom’s trip to the injury list was seen as just a precautionary move to ensure that he could return in top form.
It initially wasn’t even known if a rehab start would be necessary, but deGrom made such an appearance last night for the Mets’ A-ball affiliate in St. Lucie. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, deGrom threw 41 pitches over three innings in the game, not allowing any hits and recording eight strikeouts. He then threw a simulated inning in the bullpen afterwards to complete his evening’s work.
Needless to say, the Mets will welcome their ace back under any circumstances, but deGrom’s return is particularly well-timed for a team with an undermanned rotation. Marcus Stroman and David Peterson are the only healthy starters available, as Taijuan Walker just hit the IL on Wednesday and Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard are still rehabbing injuries.
Mariners Claim Daniel Zamora From Mets
The Mariners announced that left-hander Daniel Zamora was claimed off waivers from the Mets. Zamora was designated for assignment just yesterday by New York, and now will quickly head to a new team.
Originally a 40th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2015 draft, Zamora reached the majors and posted a 4.08 ERA over 17 2/3 innings with the Mets during the 2018-19 seasons, striking out 24 of his 77 batters faced. He didn’t make an appearance during the 2020 campaign, and Zamora has been hit hard in Triple-A action this season, with a whopping 20.25 ERA over four appearances and 6 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse.
Despite those recent results, Zamora found a new home in short order. Like many teams this season, Seattle has been dealing with a number of pitching injuries, and also put four players on the COVID list yesterday. The Mariners currently have Aaron Fletcher as the only left-handed option in their bullpen, so there appears to be an opportunity for Zamora to find a place back in the majors.
Mets Designate Jake Hager
The Mets designated outfielder Jake Hager for assignment, the team announced. Right-hander Jordan Yamamoto was called up from Triple-A, and southpaw Stephen Tarpley was activated off the COVID-related injury list.
New York just selected Hager to the roster a week ago. The 28-year-old earned that promotion with a fantastic start to the year at Triple-A Syracuse, hitting .405/.436/.703 with three homers in 39 plate appearances. Hager only tallied eight plate appearances with the big league club this week, collecting one hit (a single). The Mets will have a week to trade him or expose him to outright waivers.
Yamamoto and Tarpley will add some depth to a New York pitching staff that went through seven relievers in last night’s 12-inning victory over the Marlins. Both hurlers have pitched in one game for the Mets this season.
Rays Promote Taylor Walls, Claim Deivy Grullon From Mets
The Rays have officially promoted infield prospect Taylor Walls, as was originally reported yesterday in the aftermath of the club’s four-player trade with the Brewers.
This is one of multiple transactions for the Rays, as Tampa also claimed catcher Deivy Grullon off waivers from the Mets, then optioned Grullon and the newly-acquired Drew Rasmussen to Triple-A. Right-hander Chris Mazza was also sent to Triple-A after being activated off the 10-day injured list. Left-hander Cody Reed was moved to the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot.
With Willy Adames off to Milwaukee, the Rays addressed their shortstop vacancy not by calling up uber-prospect Wander Franco, but rather yet another well-regarded Tampa Bay farmhand in Walls. Defensively, Walls has long been big league-ready, as he is considered a plus defender at shortstop and “widely considered the best defensive player at any position in the Rays’ Minor League system,” as per MLB Pipeline’s scouting report. Walls has also stolen 66 bases (though in 99 attempts) during his minor league career and hit .327/.468/.490 over 62 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
This is the fifth time Grullon has been claimed off waivers since September 2020, and the second time Tampa Bay has claimed him in as many months. After initially taking Grullon from the Reds in early April, the catcher was again DFA’ed later in the month and claimed by the Mets. Through it all, Grullon has yet to appear in any Major League games in 2021, but he’ll now head to Triple-A as a depth option.
Shoulder inflammation cost Mazza just under a month of action. The righty posted an 8.49 ERA over his first 11 2/3 innings with the Rays, after being acquired from the Red Sox in the February trade that also brought Jeffrey Springs to Tampa.
Reed only went to the 10-day IL on Wednesday, marking the second time this season that Reed has been sidelined by a numbness/weakness issue in his left thumb. Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that Reed has yet to see a specialist about the problem, though it’s probably safe to assume that next step is coming soon. The left-hander has a 3.72 ERA over 9 2/3 relief innings for the Rays this season.