Mets star Yoenis Cespedes is nearly ready to begin baseball activities and could conceivably return within about two weeks, manager Terry Collins told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). His hamstring strain seemed fairly significant when it occurred abut ten days ago, though he seems to have bounced back fairly well in the interim. While New York has been showing some signs of life on the field, that doesn’t mean the club is any less anxious to welcome Cespedes back to the fold.
Mets Rumors
Mets Designate Adam Wilk, Add Tommy Milone To Active Roster
5:21pm: New York has added southpaw Tommy Milone to its active roster, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). He was claimed recently off waivers from the Brewers.
5:15pm: The Mets have designated lefty Adam Wilk for assignment, according to Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 29-year-old had just been called up to make his first appearance for the Mets in the wake of Matt Harvey’s suspension.
Wilk was asked to step into a tough spot after a huge amount of travel, and it showed in the results. He was tagged for five earned runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. Over thirty total MLB frames, stretching back to 2011, Wilk owns a 7.20 ERA with 21 strikeouts against eight walks. Over parts of six campaigns at Triple-A, the southpaw has compiled a 4.15 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 over 663 frames.
Mets To Recall Gavin Cechhini
The Mets will promote infielder Gavin Cecchini prior to tonight’s game against the Giants, Adam Rubin reports (on Twitter). A corresponding move for Cecchini’s recall is not yet known. Once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Cecchini’s stock has taken a step back, though he still entered the season rated as the Mets’ No. 6 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB.com. In addition to making his MLB debut last season and hitting a pair of doubles in seven plate appearances with the Mets last season, the 23-year-old turned in a solid year in Triple-A Las Vegas. In 499 plate appearances there last season, Cecchini batted .325/.390/.448. He’s off to a slower start in 2017, slashing .254/.316/.369.
Mets Suspend Matt Harvey
4:22pm: It’s possible Harvey will file a grievance over the suspension, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. “This will end up in a grievance,” one source told Heyman. However, other sources Heyman spoke with indicated that Harvey’s unsure if he’ll contest the ban.
1:20pm: Harvey did not show up at Citi Field for the Mets’ game Saturday, per FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, with a source telling him that Harvey had a migraine. The source also cited a potential miscommunication issue between Harvey and the Mets, but the club “evidently saw it differently,” writes Rosenthal (Twitter links).
12:47pm: Harvey’s suspension is the result of “a compilation of issues” going back to last season, report Seth Walder and Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. Prior to Saturday’s game, Mets owner Fred Wilpon and COO Jeff Wilpon engaged in a “heated” on-field conversation that was believed to be about Harvey, an industry source told Walder and Ackert.
9:40am: The Mets have suspended right-hander Matt Harvey three days without pay for a violation of club rules, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter links here). The ban began Saturday and will run through Monday, meaning Harvey won’t make his scheduled start Sunday against the Marlins.
With Harvey temporarily unavailable, the Mets have selected the contract of Triple-A left-hander Adam Wilk, who will start against Miami. To create room for Wilk on the 40-man roster, the Mets have moved injured ace Noah Syndergaard from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL, which had been expected to happen.
The Mets are unwilling to reveal the reason for Harvey’s brief suspension, per DiComo, with manager Terry Collins saying, “We’ll keep it in-house, the way it’s supposed to be.”
Sunday’s development continues a less-than-ideal year-plus for Harvey, who hasn’t resembled his previous top-of-the-rotation form since the beginning of last season. Harvey logged a 4.86 ERA over 92 2/3 innings in 2016, and then underwent season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July. In his return this season, the 28-year-old has continued to throw hard, yet his once-high strikeout rate has dropped to 5.14 per nine innings and he has posted a career-worst walk rate (3.34 per nine) over 35 frames. Thanks in part to his declining K/BB ratio and swinging-strike percentage (7.4, down from 11.7 from 2012-16), not to mention a sky-high home run-to-fly ball ratio (21.2 percent), Harvey’s ERA sits at a lofty 5.14 through six starts.
As of now, the only Mets starter who has gone through 2017 without any real issues is Jacob deGrom. Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo are all shelved with injuries, while Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler haven’t been as effective as they were previously (though it’s understandable in Wheeler’s case, as he’s returning from Tommy John surgery).
Mets Notes: Harvey, Cabrera, Rosario
- Suspended Mets right-hander Matt Harvey is facing a career crossroads, opines Buster Olney of ESPN. Harvey’s days as a dominant starter are likely over, posits Olney, though he contends that the 28-year-old still has time to turn back into a reliable option. Aside from improving on the mound, Harvey will have to restore a reputation that’s at an all-time low among rival evaluators, according to Olney. There are questions about the hurler’s conditioning and dedication, which, along with his on-field struggles, are red flags as his first foray into free agency nears. Harvey is scheduled to hit the open market after the 2018 season, but he could end up in a different uniform as early as this year if the Mets are out of contention around the deadline and elect to cut ties with the erstwhile ace via trade, Olney writes.
- The Mets are debating whether to put shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera on the DL, manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, on Sunday (Twitter link). Cabrera “jammed up” his left thumb Saturday, per Collins, but an MRI taken Sunday didn’t reveal any ligament damage, GM Sandy Alderson told MLB Network Radio (via DiComo). Given that Cabrera’s unlikely to miss a lot of time, the Mets won’t use his injury to promote top prospect Amed Rosario, a source informed DiComo.
Mets Claim Tommy Milone From Brewers
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
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
- 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).
Noah Syndergaard Won’t Throw For Six Weeks
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
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.
