The rain forecast wasn’t promising, but for some reason the New York Mets thought they had a window of time to get in the series finale against the Miami Marlins.

They didn’t.

Marcus Stroman went through his pre-game routine. He warmed up fully. Despite Francisco Lindor standing in a puddle at shortstop, he would take the mound. After two batters, the tarp came on the field, and eventually, the game was officially suspended.

This game should have never been started. Not smart at all. Those conditions put everyone at risk. Beyond happy no players on either side were injured. Hate that I have to wait another 5 days to pitch again. That’s a miserable feeling. However, #LFGM each and every day! @Mets

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) April 11, 2021

Stroman was correct in saying the game should have never even been attempted to be played. The playing conditions were not safe. It should also be noted Stroman will not be available to pitch for another five days.

This is just an unforced error for the Mets. First, they attempted to play in a game they should’ve just called. Second, they effectively get one Stroman start through two turns of the rotation.

Obviously, the first thing the Mets should’ve done was just postpone the game. Putting that aside, the Mets should’ve gone with an opener to start this game.

With the weather, the likely scenarios were it eventually getting rained out or there being another rain delay. In either situation, the Mets were getting a truncated Stroman start. That’s not ideal for a team built on starting pitching with a suspect back end of the bullpen.

If the Mets opted to go with the opener, they instead could’ve held Stroman back pending the weather. If things looked bleak, he stays rested, and he’s available to pitch tomorrow.

If things improved, Stroman could’ve started his routine and entered the game in a later inning.

If there was a delay, but things improved where they could reasonably fit the game in, Stroman could’ve started preparing then.

Instead, the Mets completely botched it. They got two batters work out of Stroman, and they won’t see him pitch again for five days. It’s completely inexcusable on their part.

Keep in mind, this is a team with two good opener options. Joey Lucchesi is the fifth starter, but he’s only pitched 2.0 innings so far this year. That’s a function of the schedule.

There’s also Robert Gsellman. Gsellman has starting experience, and he’s yet to enter a game this year. This would’ve been a good opportunity to get him work.

For whatever which reason, the Mets didn’t proceed in that fashion, and they will pay the price. The only hope right now is the Mets can withstand not having Stroman pitch this turn through the rotation.

Better yet, the hope is the Mets learned from this mistake. Next time, when the weather looks this dire, they should look to use an opener to save the starting pitcher until it’s clear he can enter the game and pitch without delays.