For much of this season, it is fair to say that the Mets have underachieved which has put them in a fight for the Wild Card instead of a fight for the division.  Nothing speaks more to that than the Mets going 3-13 against the Diamondbacks, Rockies, and the White Sox.  Flip that, and you have the Mets a game up on the Nationals right now.

If you want to argue the Mets are in this position due to injuries, you have to admit the Mets have exacerbated those problems.  Jim Henderson‘s usage may not have caused the shoulder impingement, how he was used early in the season certainly didn’t help.  Yoenis Cespedes and Asdrubal Cabrera were thrown out there game after game despite dealing with leg injuries.  Neil Walker was playing everyday during the summer despite him not being able to feel his toes.  This doesn’t even address pitching Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz with injuries of their own.  Overall, the decisions to play these players was either Terry Collins‘ call or was a decision made in conjunction with him.

It’s important thing to keep in mind with Collins now being lauded for his managing and some wanting to put him in the Manager of the Year discussion.  People want him in the discussion despite all that he has done to harm the Mets chances (and possibly players) to put them in position to return to the postseason.  People want him in the discussion despite Collins making a poor decision each and every game that is at a minimum puzzling, and at worst prevents the Mets chances to win the game.  Accordingly, after each game, I will have a separate entry highlighting Collins’ poor managerial decision making.

Yesterday, the Mets annihilated the Braves 10-3.  In the fifth inning, the Mets had a 10-1 lead.  The chances of blowing that game are next to nothing, and yet Collins kept his starters in virtually the entire game.

Asdrubal Cabrera has a balky knee.  With the expanded rosters, the Mets had both Gavin Cecchini and Matt Reynolds available to take over for him.  Behind them were Eric Campbell and Ty Kelly.  There was plenty of depth not just to get Cabrera out of the game, but also to have pinch hitters and infielders available.  Instead, Collins kept him in until the eighth inning.

Yoenis Cespedes has had an injured quad that has hampered him for most of the season.  Curtis Granderson has shown signs of fatigue with his playing center field.  The Mets had Jay Bruce, Brandon Nimmo, and Michael Conforto on the bench.  Instead of getting Cespedes and Granderson out of the game, Cespedes played the full game and Granderson only came out in the eighth.

So no, Collins didn’t prevent the Mets from winning yesterday’s game.  However, his decisions may have far-reaching implications for the Mets in the stretch run of the season.