Mets Rumors

East Notes: Quintana, Escobar, Pomeranz, Pearce

By Mark Polishuk | May 14, 2017 at 10:37pm CDT

On the night when the Yankees officially retired Derek Jeter’s #2, let’s take a look at news from both the AL East and the NL East…

The Nationals and Red Sox have had evaluators watching White Sox players, CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine reports. Both clubs have been scouting Jose Quintana, while the Nationals continue to have interest in closer David Robertson, and Levine figures the Sox could also be looking at Todd Frazier to address their need at third base. Chicago already completed major trades with both teams this past winter, of course, in deals that sent Adam Eaton to Washington and Chris Sale to Boston, so there is already a great deal of familiarity between these organizations. Quintana would fill the Nats’ revolving door in the fifth starter’s spot, though obtaining Robertson to help their struggling bullpen seems like the more pressing fit. The Red Sox could use Quintana and Frazier, though they seem likely to wait to see how David Price and their internal third base options return before deciding if upgrades are necessary.
Asdrubal Cabrera tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he is suffering from a torn ligament in his left thumb, and a DL stint could be possible if the thumb isn’t feeling better tomorrow. The Mets shortstop has been bothered by the injury for the last week, and while an MRI taken last week reportedly showed no ligament damage, Cabrera said he was told there was a tear. Cabrera continued to play (through mostly in pinch-hitting roles) over the past week, so it is possible his injury could have worsened. As Ackert notes, the Mets can hardly afford to lose Cabrera with so many other stars already on the disabled list. If Cabrera did require some DL time, it will renew calls for the Mets to promote top prospect Amed Rosario, though the team reportedly doesn’t want to rush the youngster to the big leagues.
Drew Pomeranz left today’s Red Sox loss after three innings due to tightness in his left triceps. While the southpaw’s health has been a question mark since his trade to the Sox from the Padres last summer, Pomeranz told media (including Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal) that both his triceps and his lowered velocity this season were due to a problem in his mechanics, not due to any physical issues. Pomeranz will undergo an MRI tomorrow but said he believes he can make his next start.
Steve Pearce left today’s Blue Jays victory with right calf tightness after sliding into second base on a double in the second inning. Manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters that Pearce will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The veteran utilityman is off to a very slow start in his first season in Toronto, hitting just .205/.256/.373 through 90 PA, though he has somewhat gotten on track after a horrible April. Losing Pearce to the DL would be yet another blow to the injury-ravaged Jays, though they did get Aaron Sanchez back on the active roster today.

NL Notes: Nationals, Mets, D-backs, Cards

By Connor Byrne | May 13, 2017 at 10:09pm CDT

The Nationals and Bryce Harper began working toward the one-year, $21.625MM extension the right fielder signed Saturday over the winter, general manager Mike Rizzo told Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (all Twitter links). The deal could end up as a slight discount for the Nationals, who believe Harper would have pushed for $25MM in arbitration next offseason if he were to win his second National League MVP this year, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).

Looking ahead, Rizzo revealed that there haven’t been any discussions about Harper’s status beyond next season, when he’s scheduled to become a free agent. In the meantime, by settling Harper’s salary for next year, the Nationals ensured that he’ll be “comfortable” and won’t have to worry about it this season, Rizzo added. Harper agrees, saying: “It’s huge. We’re able to go into the offseason and worry about other things.” The 24-year-old also noted that anything past the 2018 campaign is “still a long way away.”

Jeurys Familia Undergoes Surgery, Out 3-4 Months

By Jeff Todd | May 13, 2017 at 6:22pm CDT

SATURDAY: Familia will be able to resume throwing in six weeks and could return to competitive pitching in three to four months, the Mets announced Saturday (Twitter link via Carig).

FRIDAY: Mets closer Jeurys Familia underwent surgery this afternoon, GM Sandy Alderson told reporters including Mike Puma of the New York Post (links via Twitter) and Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter links). The club announced yesterday that surgery was possible after Familia was diagnosed with an arterial clot in his right shoulder.

The procedure to deal with the clot is expected to cost Familia several months of action — possibly keeping him out for the rest of the season. While thoracic outlet syndrome wasn’t implicated, the procedure evidently comes with a rather lengthy recovery timeline, as had seemed to be the case when the news broke yesterday.

Obviously, the injury came as quite a surprise given that Familia pitched on Wednesday night without apparent issue (results aside). Alderson explains that the closer advised the organization for the first time before the game that he was experiencing some symptoms, but he was cleared to throw because they were not significant. Evidently, a closer look after Familia’s appearance led to the preliminary diagnosis and a quick turnaround to surgery.

With the loss of Familia, the Mets are now staring at lengthy absences from their best reliever and their best starter, Noah Syndergaard. While there’s talent on hand to step into those roles — Addison Reed is more than capable of closing, while Jacob deGrom is an ace in his own right — the bigger issues arise further down the line. In this case, the club will no longer be able to turn the ball over to the bullpen with the expectation of consecutive shut-down innings (or more, in some cases, given Familia’s multi-inning capabilities).

East Notes: Red Sox, Volquez, Yankees, Mets

By charliewilmoth | May 13, 2017 at 2:59pm CDT

The Red Sox have struggled at third base this year, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. The team planned to have Pablo Sandoval as their main third baseman, a dicey proposition since Sandoval missed most of last season. The team has since lost Sandoval, Brock Holt and Marco Hernandez to injury, forcing Josh Rutledge into duty at the hot corner. Red Sox third baseman have struggled to the tune of a .237/.286/.320 line this season. Holt (vertigo) is on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Pawtucket, though, and could soon to the big leagues, as WEEI’s Rob Bradford tweets. Here’s more from the East divisions.

The Marlins have announced that they’ve reinstated righty Edinson Volquez from the 10-day DL and optioned fellow righty Brian Ellington to Triple-A New Orleans. Volquez will start tonight against the Braves. Volquez spent the minimum required time on the DL while dealing with a blister issue. He’s posted a 4.71 ERA, 10.0 K/9 and 6.9 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings thus far this season for Miami.
The Yankees’ three-game losing streak at the hands of the Reds and Astros raises a number of questions about the team, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. CC Sabathia has struggled lately, Chris Carter hasn’t hit well in place of the injured Greg Bird at first base, and the team is relying heavily on young players. Of course, as Sherman points out, it was never realistic to hope that the Yankees would sustain the blistering 21-9 pace at which they began the season.
The injury-riddled Mets could use relief help, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News writes. Jeurys Familia’s injury is just the latest for a Mets team that has had more than its fair share, and the team doesn’t have reinforcements on the way from Triple-A. Ackert mentions White Sox closer David Robertson as a potential possibility, but notes that Robertson can block a potential trade to the Mets as part of his limited no-trade clause. Besides, as she points out, significant trades rarely happen this early in the season.

Jeurys Familia Diagnosed With Arterial Clot In Shoulder

By Jeff Todd | May 11, 2017 at 12:59pm CDT

Mets closer Jeurys Familia has been diagnosed with an “arterial clot” in his right shoulder, per a club announcement. He’ll head for a visit with Dr. Robert Thompson, with a surgical option considered possible.

Obviously, we don’t yet know whether surgery is likely. But it seems squarely on the table given that the team noted that possibility in the announcement — a rather unusual step when the treatment course has yet to be finalized. Dr. Thompson, a noted expert in thoracic outlet syndrome and other vascular issues, recently operated on Mets starter Matt Harvey, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com notes on Twitter.

Familia, 27, has exhibited worrying walk issues since being activated from a suspension to start the year. Over 9 1/3 frames, he has issued eight free passes. On the other hand, he’s working in the zone at a rate (41.1%) that’s nearly identical to his career average, so it isn’t as if he’s just constantly wild. In addition to the walks, though, Familia is showing a drop in swinging strikes while drawing less chases on ball out of the zone, perhaps suggesting he’s struggling to hit his spots.

The results have generally been plenty acceptable, at least until last night’s (fielding-error-aided) meltdown. Before coughing up three earned runs while recording just a single out yesterday, Familia had allowed only one earned run on five hits through his nine frames on the season. And his average fastball velocity sits at or above his career levels (97.2 mph average four-seamer; 96.5 mph average sinker).

Whatever the precise issues, we’ll now wait to hear just how long an absence the club expects. At least some absence seems all but a foregone conclusion, with surgery potential requiring a lengthy layoff. The Mets can scarcely afford to lose Familia for a long stretch — especially with other key players already shelved on the DL. Addison Reed does represent about as good a replacement option as could be hoped for in the closer’s role, though the club will nonetheless be without a premium relief arm at the back of the bullpen for whatever stretch Familia is out.

Twins Claim Adam Wilk From Mets

By Steve Adams | May 10, 2017 at 2:36pm CDT

The Twins announced that they’ve claimed left-hander Adam Wilk off waivers from the Mets. Wilk will join the Twins tomorrow, per the team’s press release, at which point Minnesota will announce a corresponding roster move. Minnesota does have an open 40-man spot that Wilk will fill, so only a 25-man roster move needs to be made tomorrow.

The 29-year-old Wilk made his first appearance in the Majors since 2015 and just his second since 2012 over the weekend when he made a spot start for the Mets. Wilk’s outing came under sub-optimal circumstances, to say the last, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post detailed. The lefty flew from Las Vegas to Albuquerque (with a stop in Denver) last Saturday, only to learn he was needed in the Majors, at which point he flew to Los Angeles and took a midnight flight to New York to start against the Marlins at 1pm. The results weren’t pretty, as Wilk was roughed up for five earned runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 3 2/3 frames.

In total, Wilk has just 30 Major League innings under his belt, but he could potentially get a start for Minnesota on Saturday, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter link). His big league efforts have resulted in an unsightly 7.20 ERA, but Wilk has a more palatable 4.15 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in parts of six Triple-A seasons (663 innings). He’s also had some success in the hitter-friendly Korea Baseball Organization, having pitched to a 4.12 ERA with 70 strikeouts against 27 walks in 91 2/3 innings for the NC Dinos back in 2013.

Doug Fister Close To Signing; Mets Not Involved

By Steve Adams | May 9, 2017 at 10:11am CDT

10:11am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Mets are not signing Fister. He characterizes the Angels as one of multiple “serious considerations” for Fister.

9:48am: Free-agent right-hander Doug Fister is close to signing with a yet-unreported team, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Though Fister has had interest from both the AL and NL, he’s likely to land with a National League club, per Heyman. In a second tweet, Heyman notes that the D-backs are “in the mix” on Fister, adding that he hasn’t heard much tying him to the Mets as of late. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that the Mets, D-backs, Giants, Angels and Blue Jays have all been in the mix to varying extents.

From the listed teams, the Mets jump out as the club in most dire need of rotation reinforcements, as New York has lost Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo to injuries already, while right-handers Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have all struggled thus far in 2017. The Mets are hopeful that Matz and Lugo will be able to return in late May or early June, though there’s no guarantee that either comes back at full strength just yet. And Wheeler, of course, is on an innings limit in 2017 after missing the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.

The D-backs, of course, have had their own brush with injuries, having lost right-hander Shelby Miller for the season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament that necessitated Tommy John surgery. Arizona, though, seemingly has better depth at the upper levels of its farm, with Braden Shipley, Anthony Banda and Zack Godley among the potential rotation options currently in Triple-A (to say nothing of right-hander Archie Bradley, who is currently in the Major League bullpen but could likely start if deemed necessary).

As for the Giants, they lost Madison Bumgarner for what will likely be most of the first half of the season, if not more, due to a controversial dirtbike accident that resulted in a shoulder injury. None of the Giants’ other starters — Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore, Matt Cain or Ty Blach — has mustered an ERA south of 4.50 on the season. The Giants also traded one of their upper-level depth options, Clayton Blackburn, to the Rangers earlier this year. However, with Tyler Beede and Chris Stratton both in Triple-A, the Giants do possess some upper-level options should they decide to shuffle the rotation.

The Angels and Blue Jays, of course, both have plenty of cause to seek rotation help as well. However, Heyman seems to suggest that an AL club isn’t as likely, and that’s a logical line of thinking for Fister, who could likely post better numbers in the National League.

It should be noted that Fister is hardly a quick fix for any team’s rotation; the right-hander will almost certainly need a fair amount of time to ramp up before he’s ready to join a Major League rotation. And while he comes with plenty of name value, Fister’s fastball has been in the 86-87 mph range in recent seasons. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a corresponding dip in his effectiveness. Last year he proved a durable rotation piece for the Astros (32 starts) but logged just a 4.64 ERA with 5.7 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 in 180 1/3 innings.

Injury Notes: Cespedes, Britton, Heyward, McCarthy, Chen, Leclerc

By Jeff Todd | May 8, 2017 at 11:59pm CDT

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.

Here are some more updates on injury situations around the league:

The Orioles received some good news on closer Zach Britton, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports. Britton’s ailing left forearm still doesn’t appear to be related to any ligament issues, further examination showed. Noted physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache has recommended that he rest for about ten days before beginning to throw, so it’ll be a few weeks before Britton will return. It still seems concerning that Britton was forced back to the DL for a second time not long after returning, but it’s obviously also quite promising to hear that there’s still no evidence of a structural problem.
Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is heading to the 10-day DL with a hand injury, as Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com was among those to report (Twitter link). For now, he’ll be replaced on the active roster by righty Dylan Floro. At present, there’s no reason to think that Heyward will require a lengthy rest. He’ll no doubt be anxious to get back to work at improving upon his stunningly poor 2016 season. There have been some signs of life, though Heyward is hitting just .253/.333/.364 with three home runs over 111 plate appearances.
Also heading to the 10-day DL is Dodgers righty Brandon McCarthy, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report. McCarthy suggested that the layoff wasn’t necessary, as his shoulder injury occurred to the non-throwing side. But the organization felt there were at least some problems with having him on the field before the shoulder was fully healed — and, perhaps, also saw an opportunity to rest McCarthy’s arm while giving innings to other pitchers and adding another reliever (lefty Adam Liberatore). “When you have five other guys who are capable, right now, to pitch and help us win baseball games, to have the benefit of some extra days to strengthen [the shoulder], to heal it — as an organization, I think it’s the right thing [to do],” said manager Dave Roberts (parentheticals via McCullough). “I understand his frustration.”
The Marlins may be without lefty Wei-Yin Chen a bit longer than had been anticipated, as Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel reports. When he went to the DL with an elbow issue, the hope was he’d only miss one outing. But skipper Don Mattingly said today that Chen’s elbow “seems to have taken a little bit of a back turn.” It remains to be seen just how long Chen will be out, but it’s certainly not promising to hear that his condition did not progress as hoped.
Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc is heading to the 10-day DL with a bruised index finger, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by southpaw Dario Alvarez. Leclerc, 23, has been a bright spot for the struggling organization. Over 11 2/3 innings, he has allowed just three earned runs on six hits while racking up 18 strikeouts against five walks. Hopefully, he’ll return to health and have a chance to get back to continuing that strong start in short order.

Mets Designate Adam Wilk, Add Tommy Milone To Active Roster

By Jeff Todd | May 8, 2017 at 5:15pm CDT

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.

NL East Notes: Cecchini, Cabrera, Nationals, Neris

By Steve Adams | May 8, 2017 at 12:28pm CDT

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.

More from the Senior Circuit’s Eastern Division…

Flamethrowing reliever Mauricio Cabrera was activated from the disabled list by the Braves yesterday, though he was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Cabrera was one of Atlanta’s best relievers in 2016 and is touted as a potential closer, though as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets, he’ll remain in Triple-A to continue to hone his control. The reasons for the Braves’ apparent concerns with his control aren’t hard to see; in six minor league innings this season (he was previously pitching on a rehab assignment), Cabrera has issued four walks, hit a batter, and thrown three wild pitches. That said, it shouldn’t be hard for Cabrera to force his way back into the mix in short order if he begins to locate his pitches more effectively. Josh Collmenter, Ian Krol and Eric O’Flaherty all have ERAs north of 5.50, and the Braves’ relief corps as a whole has pitched to a 4.99 ERA in 95 2/3 innings this year.
The Nationals are weighing whether to keep right-hander Jacob Turner in their struggling bullpen or use him as their fifth starter, writes Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Turner has fired six shutout innings in the bullpen but has also impressed the team in a starting role, Castillo notes. The five-spot in the rotation comes up next on Thursday, and Washington’s other option for that outing in Baltimore is right-hander A.J. Cole. Castillo notes, however, that Cole was hit fairly hard by the Phillies this weekend despite escaping with just one run allowed. Right-hander Joe Ross, who was optioned to Triple-A last week, is slated to pitch for Syracuse tonight, so he’s seemingly not an option.
Since surrendering back-to-back-to-back homers to blow a save against the Dodgers a bit more than a week ago, Hector Neris has once again ramped up the usage of his splitter, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out. Gelb notes that 30 of the 43 pitches Neris has thrown since that meltdown have been splitters. The Phillies have “implored” Neris to throw his splitter, which is his best pitch, with more and more frequency, Gelb adds. “The more he uses it, the more hitters have to worry about it, and they can’t sit on his fastball,” says manager Pete Mackanin. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes that during Neris’ shakiest stretch this season, he was throwing 40 percent splitters against 60 percent four-seam fastballs. Neris looks to be back on track, and it doesn’t seem as if there’s any real thought in making a ninth-inning change in Philadelphia at this time. (Reminder to fantasy players: you can track all of the latest ninth-inning drama by following MLBTR’s @closernews account on Twitter.)

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