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Mets Claim Tommy Milone From Brewers

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The Mets, continuing an eventful Sunday, have claimed left-hander Tommy Milone off waivers from the Brewers, reports Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link). Milone had been in limbo since the Brewers designated him for assignment on Monday.

The 30-year-old Milone could step into the Mets’ injury-laden rotation immediately, replacing Rafael Montero, a source told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). Ace Noah Syndergaard went down with a partially torn right lat last week and won’t return until after the All-Star break, while Steven Matz and Seth Lugo have dealt with elbow injuries, and Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have produced back-of-the-rotation-caliber results this year. Moreover, quality depth has been lacking behind the Mets’ healthy starters, evidenced by the miserable spot starts Montero and Adam Wilk have turned in this week.

With a 4.21 ERA, 6.46 K/9 and a 2.23 BB/9 over 709 1/3 major league innings (135 appearances, 121 starts), Milone’s resume suggests he’ll serve as an upgrade over the likes of Montero and Wilk. However, Milone has struggled mightily to prevent runs dating back to last season, having combined for a 5.88 ERA across 90 1/3 frames with the Twins and Brewers. Nevertheless, with just over $1MM in salary remaining on the $1.25MM he signed with Milwaukee in the offseason, Milone comes at a low price for the Mets. He’s also controllable via arbitration through 2018.

Five Teams Interested In Doug Fister

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A month after they first drew a connection to free agent right-hander Doug Fister, the Mets are still considering signing the 33-year-old, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. New York was among four teams to watch Fister throw last week, joining the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Angels, reports Cotillo, who adds that the Giants also took a recent look at him.

The Mets’ rotation is in far worse straits than it was when they were eyeing Fister in early April. Ace Noah Syndergaard has since landed on the disabled list with a partially torn right lat, and he’s unlikely to return until after the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo still haven’t pitched this year as a result of elbow problems, and Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have logged subpar results. In the Mets’ view, Harvey also hasn’t been a model member of the organization behind the scenes, evidenced by the three-day suspension he’s currently serving.

The other four teams targeting Fister have also seen their rotations deal with injuries. Two of Toronto’s top starters, Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ, are on the DL. Arizona lost Shelby Miller to a season-ending elbow injury last month, leaving it without an obvious solution to team with Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker and Patrick Corbin. Los Angeles is without two of its starters, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, both of whom are on the DL. Lastly, San Francisco’s ace, Madison Bumgarner, will sit out until at least midsummer thanks to a dirt bike accident, and fellow starters Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore, Matt Cain and Ty Blach have recorded mediocre to poor results in the early going.

Like the Giants’ starters, the soft-tossing Fister hasn’t been all that effective of late. Once a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation arm (if not more), Fister produced like a back-end type with the Nationals and Astros from 2015-16, posting a 4.48 ERA and a 4.68 FIP in 283 1/3 innings. Further, whether he signs a major league deal or a minor league pact, Fister will surely need some time to tune up at the lower levels before potentially contributing in the big leagues this season.

Mets To Take "Fuller Look" At Yoenis Cespedes' Injury

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  • The Mets are sending left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to New York on Monday to take a “fuller look” at why he has had recurring injuries, general manager Sandy Alderson stated Saturday (via MetsBlog). “We told ourselves it wouldn’t happen again,” Alderson said in regards to Cespedes’ strained left hamstring, which is similar to the strained quad he suffered last year. Cespedes has been on the DL since April 28, meaning he’s eligible to return Monday, but that obviously won’t happen.

Noah Syndergaard Won’t Throw For Six Weeks

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Mets ace Noah Syndergaard’s next stop could be the 60-day disabled list, reports the Associated Press. Syndergaard, who hit the 10-day DL on Monday with a partially torn right lat muscle, went to Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion earlier this week. During Syndergaard’s visit, ElAttrache told him not to resume throwing for six weeks.

If all goes well during Syndergaard’s six-week layoff, the 24-year-old could begin working his way back around mid-June, but he’d then need to go through a spring training-like program to build up his arm. Unsurprisingly, then, general manager Sandy Alderson said Saturday that “realistically it’s going to take a while” for Syndergaard to return, adding, “It’s going to be much later in the season.”

The latest news on Syndergaard essentially jibes with Joel Sherman’s report from Wednesday, when the New York Post scribe relayed that the flamethrower would miss about three months. Syndergaard is one of three Mets starters currently on the shelf, joining Seth Lugo and Steven Matz, whose respective elbow injuries have kept them out all season. As is the case with Syndergaard, neither Lugo nor Matz return imminently, which means a rotation that entered the season as a strength will be a question mark for a while.

Aside from Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, Mets starters have left plenty to be desired this year. Matt Harvey, whose 2016 season ended in July on account of thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, no longer resembles the front-end starter he was in 2013 and ’15; Zack Wheeler has been better than Harvey, though the 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient is far from a top-tier option at this point; and Robert Gsellman has so far fallen flat in attempting to replicate last season’s unexpected brilliance. For now, filling out the team’s rotation is Rafael Montero. The 26-year-old ran up a 7.20 ERA in 16 Triple-A starts in 2016 and, in his first big league start this season, yielded five earned on seven hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings on Friday. In spite of Montero’s poor output, the Mets erased a six-run deficit to knock off the Marlins, 8-7.

Thanks in part to their injury woes, including current DL stints for left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, first baseman Lucas Duda, catcher Travis d’Arnaud and third baseman David Wright, wins have been difficult to come by for the Mets. After posting back-to-back playoff seasons for the second time in franchise history, they’re off to a 13-15 start this year. The Mets overcame a slew of injuries to win 87 games and earn a wild-card berth in 2016, and they’re going to have to fight through similar adversity to once again earn a postseason trip this year.

Mets Place Travis d’Arnaud On 10-Day DL

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The Mets have announced that catcher Travis d’Arnaud is going on the 10-day DL. His roster spot will go to righty Rafael Montero, who is stepping into the rotation at least temporarily.

While it had seemed d’Arnaud would avoid a DL stint for a wrist issue, it became a bigger problem after the injury was aggravated in a recent game. It’s unfortunate to see d’Arnaud go down yet again, though indications are that it won’t be a protracted absence. Manager Terry Collins told reporters including Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link) that the hope is d’Arnaud can ramp back up after only a week or so of rest.

Mets Sign Blake Beavan To Minor League Deal

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Mets have signed right-hander Blake Beavan to a minor league contract, per the team’s transactions page at MLB.com. Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review Journal tweets that the former Mariners/Rangers right-hander could join the team’s Triple-A club. It’s been nearly three years since Beavan’s last appearance in the Majors and nearly a decade since the Rangers selected him with the 17th overall pick in the ’07 draft. The 28-year-old Beavan is probably best known for being one of four players traded from the Rangers to the Mariners in exchange for Cliff Lee, but he never developed into a reliable big league arm. In 293 innings with Seattle from 2011-14, Beavan struggled to a 4.61 ERA with 4.2 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9. He spent the 2016 season in indy ball and was in the Mexican League this year, where he’d logged a 3.79 ERA with a 24-to-3 K/BB ratio through his first 35 2/3 innings. Beavan gives the Mets some depth to an injury-ravaged rotation mix.

Mets Weren't Interested In Talking Extension With Asdrubal Cabrera

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  • Interestingly, Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is said to have raised the possibility of an extension with the ballclub. But there wasn’t any interest on the team’s part, per Heyman, with New York preferring to wait and see how things progress. The club already holds an $8.5MM option ($2MM buyout) over the 31-year-old. While that seems likely to be exercised, with Cabrera perhaps moving to second or third to make way for Amed Rosario, the organization understandably did not wish to make a commitment further into the future.

N.L. Notes: Bellinger, Harvey, d’Arnaud, Bryant

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Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts acknowledged after last night’s game that there’s a chance top prospect Cody Bellinger won’t be optioned back to Triple-A when Joc Pederson is ready to return, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register was among those to report. The 21-year-old has only 32 plate appearances under his belt, but he is batting a robust .345/.406/.655 with three walks to go with five strikeouts. “I think I belong,” said Bellinger. His manager seemingly agreed, praising the youngster and noting that “things can change” when addressing the question whether Bellinger would be sent back as planned. The question remains one of playing time, as the organization no doubt prefers that Bellinger play more or less every day. Unless first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is sent to the DL to rest his forearm or the club decides to reduce the playing time of its existing group of outfielders, that might be difficult for the Dodgers to arrange.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • While Mets players and coaches say Matt Harvey has been on the rebound in terms of his stuff, the results just haven’t been there, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo explores. Both Harvey and manager Terry Collins say they believe the issue is command, especially with his secondary offerings. Whatever the cause, it’s concerning. While Harvey’s average velocity isn’t too far from his typical range, he is managing only a 7.4% swinging-strike rate. That has left him with as many earned runs as strikeouts (5.14 per nine apiece) over his 35 innings this year.
  • Meanwhile, Mets catch Travis d’Arnaud left yesterday’s game when his recent wrist injury “acted up,” in the words of Collins and as DiComo further reports. It’s not immediately clear whether he’ll miss any time; presumably, that’ll depend upon how the joint responds today. The 28-year-old has rebounded somewhat after a rough 2016 season at the plate. Over his 66 plate appearances, he owns a .203/.288/.475 batting line with four home runs and six walks against just 11 strikeouts — and a .182 BABIP that could suggest some misfortune.
  • Though Cubs star Kris Bryant was forced out of last night’s game with a calf issue, it doesn’t sound as if it’s much cause for concern. Bryant told reporters, including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter), that he is very confident of returning to the lineup today. Unsurprisingly, the 25-year-old has continued to rake in his third MLB campaign. Over 122 plate appearances, he’s slashing .291/.393/.553 — a near-exact match for the 2016 batting line that helped him to the NL MVP award.

Noah Syndergaard Could Miss 3 Months, Headed For 2nd Opinion

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The initial news on the torn lat of Mets ace Noah Syndergaard is not terribly promising. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter, “initial conservative estimates” place his expected absence at about three months.

Syndergaard, the hulking righty who has emerged as one of the game’s top starters, left his most recent outing with the injury. It wasn’t clear at the time just how long he’d be down, but it seems that the initial look from the doctors suggests a lengthy absence. Syndergaard is headed to visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache to obtain a secon opinion, per Sherman.

That’s devastating news for a Mets organization that is already scuffling through a poor start while dealing with other injuries. In particular, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo are already missing from the starting staff, making it even harder to cover for the loss of Syndergaard.

Of course, there’s really no replacing a pitcher like Syndergaard, who seemed on track to replicate his outstanding 2016 season. Before his disastrous final outing, when he left after 1 1/3 ineffective innings, Syndergaard had allowed just five earned runs over 26 frames while racking up thirty strikeouts without issuing a single walk.

That Syndergaard took the ball at all on Sunday has already turned into a sub-drama. He had been dealing with a biceps issue but declined to undergo an MRI. Whether that would’ve prevented the injury isn’t really clear, but the focus has remained on the handling of the situation by the righty and the organization.

Syndergaard Injury “Accelerates” Mets’ Search For Rotation Help

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Noah Syndergaard’s injury was a crushing blow to the rotation for an already-struggling Mets club, and general manager Sandy Alderson acknowledged yesterday that he’ll be on the lookout for outside rotation help. As Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News writes, Alderson offered the following stance on the matter:

“We have looked at that possibility, I would say yes, that this probably accelerates that process. I think we have to be realistic about what may be out there. As I said before there are some pitchers may be available who have not been pitching, would require a certain amount of time to ramp up and may not be available to us until about the time [Steven] Matz and [Seth] Lugo are possibly back, but there may be some other possibilities.”

As Alderson suggests, the situation isn’t quite as simple as it would be in the event of an offseason or Spring Training injury. Free agents like Doug Fister, Colby Lewis, Jake Peavy, Tim Lincecum and John Danks are all unsigned, but any of those veterans would have to ramp up to the point where he is able to take the mound in a Major League game. With the Mets tentatively hoping that Matz and Lugo will be back in a month, adding one of those arms might not offer a closer timeline to a rotation augment than waiting out their internal options. Of course, adding the depth for the remainder of the season wouldn’t hurt, especially considering the fact that Zack Wheeler is on an innings limit after missing the 2015-16 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.

On the free-agent front, it doesn’t seem that a match with Lewis is especially likely. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted last night that the Mets had interest in the longtime Rangers hurler in the offseason, but Sherman adds that Lewis’ agent now tells him that the right-hander isn’t interested in joining the Mets at this point. The Mets did watch Doug Fister last month, but no deal materialized following that workout.

Looking around the league, there aren’t many obvious trade candidates this early in the season. One very logical depth option, in my view, would be to swing a deal for left-hander Tommy Milone, who was designated for assignment by the Brewers yesterday. Milwaukee also probably wouldn’t mind getting out from some of the remaining money on Matt Garza’s contract.

Speculating a bit further, it’s possible that a definitively rebuilding club like the Padres wouldn’t be as reluctant as most teams to part with a starter in early May. (The Braves, for instance, traded Jhoulys Chacin to the Angels around this time last year when the Halos were similarly devastated by rotation injuries.) However, any of Padres’ offseason signees — Chacin, Jered Weaver, Clayton Richard, Trevor Cahill — would have to consent to a trade prior to June 15, and Chacin and Weaver have each struggled quite a bit.

Generally speaking, early May is a difficult time to be seeking any type of meaningful upgrade on the trade market. Even teams like the Royals, Blue Jays and Giants — each with a .370 winning percentage or worse — are reportedly still looking to right the ship rather than market veteran players in trades.

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