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Tylor Megill

Mets Claim Kramer Robertson, Transfer Tylor Megill To 60-Day IL

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The Mets have claimed infielder Kramer Robertson off waivers from the Braves, tweets Tim Healey of Newsday. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. That’s also true of reliever Colin Holderman, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and sent to the minors. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Robertson, the Mets transferred Tylor Megill from the 15-day to the 60-day IL.

A former fourth-round pick of the Cardinals, Robertson made it to the big leagues last month. He appeared in two games, picking up his first plate appearance, before being optioned back out. St. Louis designated the 27-year-old for assignment not too long thereafter, and the Braves grabbed him off waivers.

Robertson has spent 13 games with Atlanta’s top affiliate in Gwinnett. Despite playing quite well over that stretch, he apparently landed on waivers over the weekend. (The club didn’t announce his removal from the 40-man roster at the time). The Braves’ attempt to slip Robertson through waivers and keep him in the organization as a non-roster player was thwarted by their division rivals.

In parts of three Triple-A seasons, the LSU product owns a .246/.369/.398 slash line. He’s walked in a stellar 14.3% of his plate appearances at the minors’ highest level and can cover anywhere on the infield. Robertson is in his first of three minor league option years, so the Mets will add a flexible upper level depth option if they keep him on the 40-man roster.

Megill’s IL transfer backdates to June 17, when he first landed on the shelf. The right-hander suffered a shoulder strain and won’t begin a throwing program until around the All-Star Break, and he’ll certainly need weeks to build up arm strength even in a best-case scenario. It never seemed likely he’d be back before mid-August given that initial timeline, and today’s move makes that official.

Mets Notes: Scherzer, deGrom, Megill

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The Mets co-aces each hit a milestone in their recoveries from injury today. Max Scherzer made a rehab start with Double-A Binghamton, tossing 3 1/3 innings and 65 pitches. It’s the first game action for the three-time Cy Young winner since he suffered an oblique strain in mid-May.

Jon Heyman and Mark Sanchez of the New York Post wrote over the weekend that Scherzer could return to the big league staff as soon as Sunday. Whether he’s back that quickly remains to be seen, but it’s possible he could beat the initial timeline. The club originally estimated his recovery at six-to-eight weeks; this Thursday will mark the five-week mark since the injury. Even if Scherzer does wind up requiring one more rehab start before returning to the majors, the Mets surely have to be happy with his current situation considering the initial expectations.

The team announced that Jacob deGrom threw a live batting practice session at their Florida complex (via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). It’s the first time deGrom has thrown to hitters since he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his scapula at the end of Spring Training. The four-time All-Star has been working off the mound for the past couple weeks, and he continues to progress toward an eventual return. A specific timeline for him logging game action is to be determined, and deGrom is expected to require at least three rehab starts before getting back on the Citi Field mound.

In addition to Scherzer and deGrom, New York will be without Tylor Megill for an extended period. The right-hander suffered a shoulder strain and landed on the injured list last week, with the club announcing he’d be shut down from throwing entirely for at least a month.

Megill only managed a 5.01 ERA through nine starts before the injury, but he struck out a quality 27% of batters faced against a 6.3% walk rate. He’s started all 27 of his major league appearances dating back to last year’s call-up, but the Mets have at least given some thought to using him in shorter stints. Ken Rosenthal suggested on this week’s Athletic Baseball Show that New York had some internal discussions about the possibility of converting Megill into a high-leverage setup role once Scherzer and deGrom returned to join Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, Chris Bassitt and depth starters David Peterson and Trevor Williams.

Rosenthal noted those hypotheticals were kicked around before Megill’s injury, which could throw a wrench into any plans. It seems likely he’d require less of a rehab buildup to work out of relief than as a starter, perhaps increasing the appeal of such a move though. Either way, Megill won’t be on an MLB mound for an extended period, and intervening events will no doubt affect the club’s course of action. He’s likely to be out through the August 2 trade deadline, and New York figures to explore the market for both starting and relief help over the coming weeks.

Mets Place Tylor Megill On 15-Day IL Due To Shoulder Strain

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The Mets have placed right-hander Tylor Megill on the 15-day injured list due to a shoulder strain.  The team announced several other corresponding moves, including righty Adonis Medina being called up from Triple-A, and the selection of Tommy Hunter’s contract (as previously reported).  Right-hander Jake Reed was also optioned to Triple-A, and infielder Gosuke Katoh was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Hunter.

Megill will be shut down for the next four weeks, and the team will then re-evaluate his status.  While the situation is still somewhat fluid, this lengthy shutdown period will likely require a pretty notable ramp-up period afterwards, so it looks like Megill could miss the better part of two months.  A move to the 60-day IL could eventually be possible, depending on New York’s 40-man roster needs and when more details are known about Megill’s status.

Megill has a 5.01 ERA over 41 1/3 innings and nine starts this season, though advanced metrics (3.03 xFIP, 3.24 SIERA) paint a far more favorable picture of the righty’s production.  His 27% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate are both above the league average, even if hitters have found a lot of success in barreling Megill’s offerings.  Megill’s numbers are clouded by one particularly dreadful start against the Nationals on May 11, as Megill allowed eight earned runs over just 1 1/3 innings of work.

The day after that start, Megill was sent to the IL due to right biceps inflammation, which sidelined him for almost a month.  The righty didn’t fare well in two starts in between his IL visits, with an 8.10 ERA over 6 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old’s early success was a big help to a Mets team that was shorthanded with pitching injuries, but now Megill has joined New York’s still-notable list of absent arms.  Max Scherzer is set for a rehab start next week and could potentially be back from an oblique injury before June is over, though more will be known once Scherzer completes his rehab work.  Jacob deGrom is tentatively set to return at some point in July, after missing the entire season due to a stress reaction in his throwing shoulder (and the last half of the 2021 season due to forearm problems).

Off-days on June 23, June 27, and June 30 will help the Mets manage their rotation, as they might need a replacement for Megill for just one start.  Trevor Williams is probably the likeliest candidate to take that role, or the team could opt for a bullpen game.  If Scherzer is able to return sooner rather than later, he could slide right into that rotation spot.

This is the second time in two months that Katoh has been designated for assignment, as his previous trip to the DFA wire resulted in the Mets claiming the infielder away from the Blue Jays.  A longtime member of the Yankees’ farm system, Katoh made his MLB debut this season, appearing in eight games with Toronto.  In 55 combined plate appearances with the Mets’ and Jays’ Triple-A affiliates this season, Katoh has only a .367 OPS.

NL East Notes: Strasburg, Megill, Smith

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Nationals’ starter Stephen Strasburg seems to be nearing his MLB season debut, as he threw 58 pitches over five innings in a rehab game yesterday. Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com relays that Stras is with the big league team and will travel to New York with them as they visit the Mets for a three-game set. From there, he will likely head to Rochester, home of the team’s Triple-A affiliate, to make another rehab start, which could be his last. He hasn’t pitched since June of last year due to undergoing surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome.

The retooling Nationals don’t need to be in any rush, as they don’t really have designs on competing this year. After selling off most of their best players last year, they are predictably in the NL East basement with a record of 18-31. With Strasburg, his long-term health and success should be the priority, as the 33-year-old still has four more years on his contract after this one, at $35MM per season. Although a lot of the money is deferred, he’s still set to be the most significant contract on the books as the team aims to return to contention in the coming seasons.

More from around the division…

  • Mets’ hurler Tylor Megill is nearing a rehab stint, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. He adds that Megill is only expected to need one or two rehab starts to get back into game shape after going on the IL with biceps inflammation about three weeks ago. When Jacob deGrom went on the IL to start the year, Megill jumped into the rotation and was a valuable steadying force. Now that he and Max Scherzer have joined deGrom on the shelf, the team’s rotation is down to Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and David Peterson, with Trevor Williams likely to jump back into the mix once needed. The Mets have already been connected to Frankie Montas and Tyler Mahle, two starters who are among the most likely to be dealt and the most sought after. Their aggressiveness in that pursuit between now and the August 2 trade deadline will likely hinge on the health of Megill, deGrom and Scherzer, as its possible the rotation becomes stacked with talent even without a trade.
  • As for the Mets’ bullpen, Drew Smith had to exit last night’s game after attempting to field a comebacker with his bare hand and injuring it. Thankfully, it seems like Smith and the Mets have avoided the worst, with post-game X-rays showing a dislocation but no fracture, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Smith has been a nice development for the club over the past couple of years, throwing 62 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA since the start of the 2021 season. There’s likely some good fortune in there, considering his .205 BABIP and 90.7% strand rate, but the results have nonetheless been enough for him to be trusted with some leverage, as he’s racked up 12 holds this year already.

Mets Notes: deGrom, Megill, McNeil

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The Mets have been without Jacob deGrom all season, although the club has maintained he’s progressing well in his recovery from a Spring Training stress reaction in his scapula. deGrom has been throwing off flat ground for a couple weeks, and Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News tweeted yesterday that he’s lengthened out to throwing from 95-100 feet.

More encouragingly, Thosar suggests the star right-hander could progress to throwing a bullpen session by this weekend. That’d mark a notable step in his recovery, although he’ll presumably need multiple mound sessions before he progresses to facing live hitters. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com wrote last week that deGrom is also expected to require three-to-five rehab starts in the minor leagues before returning to the majors.

There are still significant hurdles before deGrom will be back in a game at Citi Field, but he continues to make incremental strides. Jon Heyman of the New York Post said on yesterday’s The Show podcast with colleague Joel Sherman that he’d heard a “late June” potential timetable for deGrom’s return to the big leagues from a team source (Mets’ talk around 34:00 mark). Even if his rehab lingers a bit beyond then, the organization is surely hopeful the two-time Cy Young winner will be healthy for the second half of the season.

The Mets are also down Max Scherzer and Tylor Megill, leaving them to rely on their rotation depth. Scherzer isn’t likely to be back before the All-Star Break, while Megill has been out since May 15 because of biceps inflammation. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner suggested Megill’s further along in his recovery than deGrom (Thosar link), but he’s not yet thrown a bullpen session and certainly won’t be ready to return when first eligible on Friday.

While the rotation has taken some key hits, the position player group has been healthy aside from catcher James McCann (out through late June because of a hand fracture). Second baseman/left fielder Jeff McNeil is now day-to-day after crashing into the wall chasing a fly ball this afternoon. Mike Puma of the Post was among those to relay (on Twitter) that he’s been diagnosed with a left knee contusion.

The subject of some trade speculation over the winter, the lefty-hitting McNeil is rewarding the organization’s decision to keep him in Flushing. Across 170 plate appearances, he’s hitting .323/.376/.458 with a minuscule 10% strikeout rate. McNeil only has two home runs, but he’s among the top 25 qualified hitters in both batting average and on-base percentage.

Mets Sign Trevor Cahill To Minor League Contract

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The Mets recently agreed to a minor league deal with veteran starter Trevor Cahill, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported. According to the righty’s transactions tracker at MLB.com, he has been assigned to the team’s Florida complex.

Cahill will presumably head to Triple-A Syracuse at some point, but Sherman notes that he’ll first need time to build into game shape. That’s no surprise, as he hasn’t pitched since last June. A member of the Pirates at the time, Cahill landed on the injured list with a left calf strain. He was quickly transferred to the 60-day IL and didn’t return, quietly hitting free agency at the end of the year.

Before the injury, Cahill made nine appearances (including eight starts) for the Bucs. He managed just a 6.57 ERA over 37 innings, striking out a below-average 19.3% of opposing hitters. The sinkerballer induced grounders at a typically robust 55.2% clip, though, and he’s been excellent at keeping the ball in the yard throughout his career.

Cahill doesn’t throw hard or miss many bats, and his results have been inconsistent in recent years. Yet the 12-year big league veteran has continued to earn opportunities as a depth arm, having reached the majors each season since 2009. After an early run as a rotation stalwart with the A’s and Diamondbacks, Cahill has suited up for eight different clubs over the past seven seasons.

He’s a perfectly sensible veteran depth option for the Mets, who have taken some hits to their star-studded rotation. Jacob deGrom has still yet to pitch recovering from the stress reaction that arose in his throwing shoulder late in Spring Training. He is throwing but not yet ready for a minor league rehab assignment, and a specific timeline is still unclear. (Jon Heyman of the Post noted yesterday that he’s not likely to be available until some point in July). Making matters worse, New York just lost co-ace Max Scherzer for six-to-eight weeks because of an oblique strain.

Tylor Megill is also on the injured list because of biceps inflammation, although the prognosis seems more promising there. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweeted last night that Megill is tentatively expected to play catch today, his first time throwing since hitting the IL a week ago. If all goes according to plan, it doesn’t seem the 26-year-old is in for too long an absence.

For the moment, New York is set to rely on a primary starting five of Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, David Peterson and Trevor Williams. That’s a solid group — particularly for a team down three of its top arms — but New York has already had to call on their depth options and the minor league ranks have thinned out. Further rotation injuries could put the organization in a precarious spot, so they’ll add Cahill as an insurance option.

Mets Place Tylor Megill On Injured List, Select Colin Holderman

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The Mets announced a series of roster moves today, with righty Tylor Megill going on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 12, due to right biceps inflammation. Fellow righty Colin Holderman has been selected to take his place on the active roster. To make room for Holderman on the 40-man roster, righty Trevor May has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

The Mets didn’t provide a timeline for Megill’s injury but did say that he will undergo an MRI today. More details and the next steps should be forthcoming once the results are known.

Megill, 26, wasn’t originally projected to open the season in the rotation, but injuries to Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker created an opening for him. Initially, Megill took that opportunity and ran with it, making two scoreless starts to begin the season and putting up an ERA of 1.93 after five total outings. However, his last two outings haven’t been as smooth, with Megill allowing 11 total earned runs in those. It’s possible that this injury was taking its toll on him and affecting his performance.

The Mets will need another starter to take Megill’s spot in the rotation, as today is their sixth of 16 consecutive games. David Peterson would seem to be the most likely candidate to be called up, given that he’s already made three starts for the club earlier this year and performed well. But in the short term, he pitched in Triple-A on Friday and wouldn’t be available to pitch on normal rest until Wednesday. Megill’s was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game, meaning the Mets will have to figure out who’s taking the ball for that contest.

In the meantime, Holderman will join the staff to try to cover some innings. A ninth round draft pick from 2016, he’s done both starting and relieving in his minor league career, though he’s only been working out of the bullpen this year. In nine Triple-A games, he’s thrown 12 1/3 innings with a 2.92 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 61.3% ground ball rate. As soon as he gets the call to enter a game, it will be his major league debut.

The transfer of May to the 60-day injured list isn’t shocking, as it was reported a couple of weeks ago that he will be out of action for 8-12 weeks due to a stress reaction in the humerus of his throwing arm.

Mets Activate Robert Gsellman, Designate Brandon Drury

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The Mets have activated right-hander Robert Gsellman from the 60-day injured list.  In corresponding moves, utilityman Brandon Drury has been designated for assignment, while right-hander Tylor Megill has been optioned to Triple-A.

Gsellman will get a couple more chances to get on the mound during what been an another injury-plagued year for the swingman.  A right lat strain sent Gsellman to the IL back on June 21, thus limiting him to only 26 2/3 innings in 2021.  Since injuries also greatly limited Gsellman in 2020, he has pitched a total of 40 2/3 innings over the last two seasons.

All this missed time has had an adverse effect on Gsellman’s earnings, considering that 2020 and 2021 were both arbitration-eligible years.  Gsellman will be arb-eligible for a third and final time this winter, but won’t get much beyond his $1.3MM 2021 salary.  On the plus side, this low price tag could make the Mets inclined to bring him back rather than non-tendering him.

Drury signed a minor league deal with New York last winter and ended up earning $1.55MM in guaranteed salary once the Mets selected his contract.  In 88 plate appearances at the big league level, Drury provide above-average (112 OPS+, 114 wRC+) offense, hitting .274/.307/.476 with four homers.  Much of that production, however, was packed into a seven-game hit streak in late July.  It seems likely that the seven-year MLB veteran will have to settle for another minors contract this offseason in order to catch on with another team.

Jacob deGrom Won’t Resume Throwing For At Least Two More Weeks

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Jacob deGrom hasn’t thrown since a July 30 setback in his recovery from elbow inflammation prompted a two-week shutdown. With that initial shutdown having passed, there’d been some hope deGrom could restart his throwing program in the coming days. That, however, won’t be the case.

Mets manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News) that deGrom’s shutdown will last at least another two weeks. Rojas stressed that deGrom isn’t dealing with structural damage and that the inflammation is improving. That said, it’s apparently not progressing quickly enough for him to begin throwing again before late August, at the earliest.

Hope remains that deGrom will be able to return to the majors at some point this year. That window of opportunity’s dwindling, though, with just seven weeks remaining in the regular season. In a best case scenario, deGrom begins a throwing program two weeks from now. He’ll need some time to build up arm strength before he can embark upon a minor league rehab assignment.

The Mets could expedite that rehab process by building deGrom up to work in shorter stints, just as they’re leaning towards brining Noah Syndergaard back as a relief weapon. In such a scenario, deGrom could still serve as a starting pitcher, but scheduling constraints make it unlikely New York will have the luxury of building deGrom up to work 100+ pitches with regularity for the stretch run.

Needless to say, losing the best pitcher in baseball has dealt a tough blow to the Mets. deGrom looked to be coasting to his third career Cy Young Award (and potentially the NL MVP award) early in the season. Over fifteen starts, the 33-year-old tossed 92 innings of 1.08 ERA/1.74 SIERA ball.

Despite a series of injuries to key position players, the Mets remained in first place in the NL East for much of the early summer — thanks largely to deGrom’s absurd level of dominance. A bout of forearm tightness sent him to the injured list on July 18, though. The accompanying elbow inflammation is now set to cost him at least a significant chunk of the season’s second half.

The Mets have fallen on hard times in recent weeks. New York has gone 11-13 since placing deGrom on the IL, with the rotation posting a disappointing 5.71 ERA/4.74 SIERA over that time. The skid — coupled with the Phillies’ recent hot streak — has put the Mets a half game back of Philadelphia and a half game up on the Braves in a tightly-contested division race.

Obviously, there’s still plenty of opportunity for the Mets to take ahold of the division. They’ll have to go at least a majority of the stretch run without their ace, though, leaving New York relying on a starting staff including Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco, Tylor Megill, Taijuan Walker, Rich Hill and Trevor Williams.

That’s still a talented group, but there’s also a fair bit of uncertainty. Stroman has been excellent all year, and the unheralded Megill has stepped up with 45 innings of 3.20 ERA/3.80 SIERA ball over his first nine big league starts. (Tim Britton of the Athletic explored Megill’s rapid rise in the organization this morning in a piece that should be of interest to Mets fans). The veteran group at the back of the rotation comes with plenty of question marks, though.

Carrasco has only made three starts this year because of a hamstring tear. He’s a highly accomplished pitcher at his best, but it remains to be seen if the 34-year-old will be able to pitch at his peak level down the stretch. Walker began the year well but he’s been hit hard over his past five starts. Hill has pitched well overall but seen his swinging strike rate plummet recently, and Williams struggled with the Cubs and has only made a single MLB appearance for the Mets to date.

Marcus Stroman Optimistic He Can Make His Next Start

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June 23, 3:08 pm: Stroman is still dealing with soreness in his hip, but he’s hopeful he’ll be able to make his next start, manager Luis Rojas tells reporters (including Thosar).

June 23, 11:15 am: Stroman underwent an MRI today, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that the imaging came back clean. There’s no structural damage for Stroman, which should rule out a lengthy absence. Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News tweets that Stroman is day-to-day.

June 22: Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman left this evening’s start against the Braves in the second inning after a visit from the trainer. The club later announced he’s dealing with left hip soreness. Yennsy Díaz came on in relief to replace him.

There’s no indication at this point that his departure was anything more than precautionary, but it’s nevertheless a concerning development. Given the current state of their rotation, the Mets can scarcely afford a lengthy absence from Stroman. Jacob deGrom has been otherworldly, and Taijuan Walker has been very good in his own right. Even before Stroman’s departure, though, there was plenty of uncertainty at the back of the rotation. David Peterson has struggled to a 5.31 ERA, and the final spot is already a question mark. Joey Lucchesi will undergo Tommy John surgery this week, with veteran Jerad Eickhoff and prospect Thomas Szapucki among the potential replacements. Tylor Megill, who has performed well over three starts at Triple-A Syracuse, is among the players under consideration for a promotion, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link).

At 37-30, the Mets are leading the National League East by four games. The front office looks likely to be on the hunt for starting pitching in the coming weeks, and that urgency will only be heightened if Stroman requires an IL stint. It’s also a critical year for Stroman, who is scheduled to hit free agency at season’s end after accepting an $18.9MM qualifying offer last winter. To this point, his decision to bet on himself has looked wise, as Stroman has tossed 85 2/3 innings of 2.31 ERA/3.55 FIP ball.

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