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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.

Noah Syndergaard Diagnosed With Partially Torn Lat Muscle

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11:55pm: There was plenty more discussion of Syndergaard’s situation today, though details on what to expect remain scant. As MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports, Alderson suggested only that the absence is “going to be measured in weeks” rather than days. He also defended the organization’s medical staff and decisionmaking process while making clear that he decided to allow Syndergaard to take the hill.

For more, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times discusses the broader build-up to the injury, while Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record argues that the club mishandled the situation.

11:05am: MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (via Twitter) that the Mets are planning to start Montero in place of Syndergaard this coming Friday, though the long-term option in Syndergaard’s absence remains unknown. Neither Matz nor Lugo is expected back until at least the end of May, so the Mets will need some form of bridge until the end of the month, at the earliest.

10:22am: The Mets announced on Monday that the MRI performed on right-hander Noah Syndergaard this morning revealed a partial tear of his right lat muscle. Per the team, there’s no timetable on his return, but Syndergaard will be placed on the 10-day disabled list. General manager Sandy Alderson will further address the media at 4:00pm ET, according to the Mets’ release.

Syndergaard becomes the second member of the Mets’ rotation and the third Mets starting option to land on the disabled list less than one month into the season. Left-hander Steven Matz is on the shelf due to a elbow/flexor issue, while right-hander Seth Lugo is currently on the disabled list due to a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Though it’s not certain how long Syndergaard will be sidelined, Newsday’s David Lennon points out that Matz missed roughly two months of the 2015 season with a similar injury to the one revealed by Syndergaard’s MRI (Twitter link).

The injury is not without controversy, as Syndergaard appeared to suffer the injury this past Sunday after refusing an MRI on his ailing biceps. The 24-year-old had been slated to take the hill last Thursday but was scratched from that start and pushed back to Sunday. After it was learned that Syndergaard declined to undergo an MRI, he told the media: “I think I know my body best. I’m pretty in tune with my body, and that’s exactly why I refused to take the MRI.”

With Syndergaard headed to the disabled list, the Mets’ rotation will now consist of Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Robert Gsellman. It’s not immediately clear who’ll step into the starting five in his absence, although Sean Gilmartin and Rafael Montero have both worked as starters with Triple-A Las Vegas and are both already on the 40-man roster.

Notes On Noah Syndergaard's Injury

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  • Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News spoke to a pair of sports orthopedists about the partial tear of Noah Syndergaard’s right lat muscle, discussing the ways in which it can be treated and the potential absence Syndergaard could face. While all of those factors are dependent on the severity of the tear, neither medical expert suggested that surgery was likely. Ackert offers quotes from both Dr. Anthony Maddalo and Dr. Kenneth Mautner (the latter of whom is a team physician with the Braves), with each going into detail on the nature of lat injuries. While a platelet-rich plasma injection isn’t a standard treatment for a torn lat muscle, both said it could theoretically help accelerate the healing process. Rest, rehab and stretching were also suggested as possibilities, with a program along those lines taking potentially up to six weeks, Ackert notes. There’s still no official word on a timeline from the Mets, though Sandy Alderson will address reporters at 4pm ET.
  • Syndergaard’s injury is obviously a severe problem for the Mets, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines that the injury is symbolic of a greater problem for baseball as a whole. The increased emphasis on velocity continues to put pitchers at risk, Rosenthal suggests, as young arms focus more on overpowering hitters than prioritizing durability. Rosenthal spoke extensively with Hall of Famer and current broadcaster John Smoltz on the matter. “(In the past), each pitcher was given the opportunity to learn what kind of pitcher they were going to be,” said Smoltz. “Now they’re all robots. … We’re getting dangerously close to every pitcher red-lining when he doesn’t really have to. They’re not preparing to learn how to pitch like it’s a six-gear car. They’re always in sixth gear. Never in fourth or fifth.”

Mets Could Listen On Matt Harvey If Out Of Pennant Race

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Starting pitchers could dominate talks leading up to this summer’s trade deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes in his latest Insider-only column.  In addition to long-discussed trade candidates like White Sox southpaw Jose Quintana, struggling would-be contenders like the Mets, Blue Jays, Royals, and Pirates could put some of their own arms on the market if they’re fully out of the pennant race by July.  Olney’s column is well worth a full read for his listing of every potential name on the market, though here are a few of the particular hot stove notables…

[SOURCE LINK]

  • Some evaluators believe the Mets would listen to offers for Matt Harvey if they fall out of the running in the NL East.  The former ace has been whispered in trade rumors for a couple of years due to both off-the-field controversy and a seeming likelihood that he will test the free agent market after the 2018 season (Scott Boras is Harvey’s agent).  Of course, Harvey’s stock has dropped due to an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, and the righty has been only average (4.25 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 1.8 K/BB rate) over 29.2 IP and five starts this season.  Harvey has been been homer-prone this season and his average fastball velocity is 93.8 mph, two full miles down from his 2015 velocity.  Still, as long as Harvey stays healthy, one would think he’d still receive a lot of deadline attention given his past history.

Noah Syndergaard Leaves Start With “Possible Lat Strain”

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2:25pm: Syndergaard has a “possible lat strain,” according to the Mets. After opting against an MRI previously, he’ll head back to New York to undergo one (Twitter link via Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record).

1:25pm: In what could be a disastrous turn of events for the Mets, ace Noah Syndergaard left his start against the Nationals on Sunday after 1 1/3 innings with an apparent injury. The right-hander grabbed his biceps as he walked off the mound with a trainer, David Lennon of Newsday was among those to report (via Twitter).

Syndergaard was supposed to start for the Mets this past Thursday, but they had to scratch him on account of biceps discomfort, which makes Sunday’s development all the more troubling. The 24-year-old denied a request to undergo an MRI, telling reporters (via ESPN.com): “I think I know my body best. I’m pretty in tune with my body, and that’s exactly why I refused to take the MRI.”

General manager Sandy Alderson noted that Syndergaard’s decision was unusual and added, “I can’t strap him down and throw him in the tube.”

A serious injury to Syndergaard would be the most significant blow yet to a starting staff that hasn’t been the picture of health this season. Both Steven Matz and Seth Lugo have been out all year with injuries, and neither will return imminently. Meanwhile, Matt Harvey hasn’t been sharp in his comeback from the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent in 2016, and Zack Wheeler has run up a 4.78 ERA (albeit with a 3.83 FIP) in his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2015. Health hasn’t been a problem lately for Robert Gsellman, on the other hand, though run prevention has (6.23 ERA, 3.69 FIP).

The flame-throwing Syndergaard was ineffective in his brief start Sunday, yielding four earned runs on five hits and two walks, but his numbers for 2017 remain excellent. Arguably the best righty in the majors, Syndergaard has logged a 2.96 ERA, 10.54 K/9, .66 BB/9 and a 57.7 percent ground-ball rate through 27 1/3 frames. He and Jacob deGrom have continued to serve as front-line starters this year for a club that entered the season with World Series hopes but has won only 10 of its first 23 games.

Lucas Duda To Stay On DL Past 10-Day Mark

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  • Mets first baseman Lucas Duda, on the disabled list since April 21 with a hyperextended left elbow, will stay on the DL beyond the 10-day mark. Duda felt a “twinge” in his elbow after playing a rehab game Friday, and the Mets have shut him down until Tuesday as a result, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. The Mets’ offense is just 17th in the majors in runs and 26th in wRC+, so a longer-than-expected absence for Duda isn’t optimal (especially with Yoenis Cespedes also out). With a .238/.360/.571 line in 50 trips to the plate, Duda has been one of the slow-starting club’s top performers this year.
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