Musings
The late, great, Hall of Fame Manager Earl Weaver used to say, “Momentum? Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.” With that said, the Mets should have momentum all throughout 2016.
With a 2-4 start, it hasn’t always worked out that way, but tonight Mets fans get to see Noah Syndergaard take the mound. Last time we saw him, he was doing things like this:
GIF: Did we just witness @Noahsyndergaard throw a 95 MPH SLIDER?! pic.twitter.com/v5BGdNGKLp
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) April 5, 2016
He’s become unhittable. He makes you want to jump out of your chair and scream:
Fact is, whenever you have Thor on the mound, your team has momentum. They can go out there and beat the ’27 Yankees. They can go out there and beat the Big Red Machine just like Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Jon Matlack did. When any member of a power triumvirate of Mets pitchers takes the mound, you have to like your chances of winning. You’ve got momentum.
Tonight, momentum, thy name is Thor.
At a time when Mets fans were still clamoring for Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets made a move designed to sure up their bullpen when they signed Antonio Bastardo to a two year $12 million contract.
Generally speaking, the move was well received. While Bastardo was a left hander, he was not a LOOGY. For his career, he actually holds righties to a very respectable .211/.307/.331. Bastardo was a guy that the Mets could slot into the seventh or eighth inning. He was supposed to be a very important part of the Mets bullpen. So far, in 2016, it hasn’t happened that way.
After a terrific stint with the Mets last year, Terry Collins handed the eighth to Addison Reed. After a terrific Spring Training and an even better start to the season, Jim Henderson has locked down the seventh. To date, Bastardo’s role has been much less glamorous.
Bastardo’s first appearance came in a Mets 7-2 trouncing of the Phillies. It was Bastardo’s job to mop up the ninth inning. Last night, Bastardo was called upon to eat up a many innings as he could after Steven Matz only lasted 1.2 innings. Bastardo was the second guy in after Hansel Robles pitched the first 2.2 innings. Essentially, Robles is the seventh or last guy in the bullpen, and Bastardo is the sixth.
Somewhat surprisingly, Bastardo has become the forgotten man in the bullpen. Collins feels more comfortable going elsewhere when he’s looking for a guy to get some important outs. It’s too early to say or suggest that’s he’s in the doghouse, especially since the season’s only six games deep. The fact is Collins feels more comfortable looking to Reed and Henderson. It’s not what anyone had in mind when the Mets signed Bastardo this offseason.
With all that said, there’s still a lot of games left to be played. As the season progresses, Bastardo is going to get some important innings. After he shows this Mets coaching staff what he can do in those situations, he will be put into more and more high leverage situations.
However, until that time, Collins is going to continue looking elsewhere when the game is on the line.
Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com
There’s no blaming the Mets for Jacob deGrom‘s right lat injury. Injuries happen. However, we yet again have to question how the Mets handle injuries and their roster.
At the outset, the Mets are skipping deGrom’s start on Wednesday. He also isn’t going to throw in the bullpen for the time being. This is a very reasonable course of action. There’s no need rushing deGrom back in April possibly causing him further injury. With that said, there’s no reason why deGrom hasn’t been sent for an MRI.
It was just last year the Mets dealt with Steven Matz and his lat. The Mets thought he was fine. They didn’t send him for an MRI, and they let him make his next start. As we discovered, he shouldn’t have made that start. He wouldn’t throw another pitch for the Mets for another two months. The Mets treatment of Matz follows a pattern. It’s at this point, we’re obligated to review Jared Diamond’s breakdown in the Wall Street Journal of how the Mets downplay injuries:
For a second, let’s be optimistic about deGrom’s injury. Let’s assume it really is tightness and not worse. Let’s assume an MRI really isn’t needed. Why not put him on the DL anyway?
With deGrom missing a start, Logan Verrett will take his spot in the rotation. This is the same Verrett who pitched yesterday. This means he will be starting on two days rest on Wednesday. He also isn’t fully stretched out. He only threw 15.2 innings in eight Spring Training games. Long story short, the Mets bullpen is going to be taxed.
The bullpen is also going to be one man short as Verrett rests from his start.
Instead of having a short bullpen, the Mets should just put deGrom on the DL. He’s already missing one start. If deGrom were to go on the DL, he would be eligible to make his next start on Sunday, April 24th instead of Tuesday, April 19th against the Phillies. Despite the Mets losing two out of three to the Phillies this past weekend, the Mets should still be able to win with Verrett on the mound.
In turn, deGrom can use that time to rest, not rush back, and not exacerbate his lat injury. He can be home when his wife gives birth. He can spend some quality time home with his newborn son before going back on the road. deGrom can get his mind and his body in the right place before pitching again.
The Mets need to put deGrom on the DL right now.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsmerizedonline.com
The season has gotten off to a rocky start and increasingly, it is becoming apparent that there are two types of Mets fans – Optimistic and Pessimistic. Here’s the breakdown:
Optimistic: the Mets won in 1969 and 1986. They win in years which have a 6 in them. It’s 2016!
Pessimistic: Tell that to the 1962 – 1968 Mets and the 1976 Mets. Also, someone probably should’ve told that to Carlos Beltran when he didn’t swing the bat.
Optimistic: The ’86 Mets began the year 2-3, and they lost two games to the Phillies.
Pessimistic: The 1992 Mets were also a high profile team people thought were World Series contenders that opened the year 2-3. By the way, the 1986 Phillies were a decent team. The 2016 Phillies are horrendous.
Optimistic: Yoenis Cespedes seemed to get off the snide. He went 2-4 with a homerun and two RBI.
Pessimistic: He’s still batting only .200, and did you see him drop that ball in Kansas City?
Optimistic: The Mets have the best ERA in baseball.
Pessimistic: Matt Harvey has been terrible. It’s only a matter of time before we discover Jacob deGrom needs surgery or he will be out half the year. By the way, the Mets have the best ERA, faced an awful Phillies team, and they’re still under .500.
Optimistic: The bullpen has been off to a terrific start.
Pessimistic: You must’ve missed yesterday’s game when Addison Reed melted down like it was Game 5 of the World Series.
Optimistic: David Wright has looked good to start the year.
Pessimistic: His throws have been terrible, and he’s already had to miss a game.
Optimistic: Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera have looked great up the middle.
Pessimistic: Anything would’ve been an upgrade. By the way, they’re not hitting, and it hasn’t translated to wins. Speaking of wins, the Nationals are 3-1. Coincidentally, they have Daniel Murphy, the guy who carried the Mets in the postseason, is a National. He’s hitting .462/.611/.923.
Optimistic: This team is built to win the World Series, and I’m going to enjoy every single part of the ride.
Pessimistic: I don’t know what team you’re watching.
In Jacob deGrom‘s first start of the year, he went out and dominated the Phillies. Normally, this would be reason to celebrate because it’s a sign deGrom is picking up where he left off last season. Unfortunately, there were some real problems with the start.
Most importantly, deGrom left the start with right lat tightness. This was the latest injury deGrom has had this year. During Spring Training, deGrom also a sore thigh and a stiff back. Neither of the latter two injuries prevented him from getting ready for the 2016 season or taking the mound against the Phillies. He’s been nicked up, but as of right now, there is no discussion of putting deGrom on the disabled list.
There’s something important to note here. deGrom is suffering from a TIGHT lat, not a TORN lat like Steven Matz suffered last year. Any discussion of deGrom missing any period of time is very premature.
With that said, you are left to wonder if any one of these injuries, or a combination thereof, has helped cause deGrom’s drop in velocity.
After a 2015 season in which deGrom averaged a 96 MPH fastball, his velocity has noticeably dipped this year. During Spring Training, deGrom was throwing his fastball between 91 – 93 MPH. Despite hopes that he could ramp it up during the regular season, deGrom’s fastball only averaged 93 MPH. So while he ramped it up a bit, we was still three MPH slower than where he was last year.
It’s natural to question if the dip in velocity is due to deGrom getting nicked up here and there. On MLB Tonight, Pedro Martinez presented an alternative theory. He thinks deGrom is dropping his arm when he’s pitching thereby causing the decreased velocity. Therefore, if deGrom improves his mechanics, he should be able to regain his velocity.
Even if deGrom never finds his velocity, he can still be a very effective pitcher. In 2014, deGrom’s fastball averaged somewhere between 93 – 94 MPH. That year, he was 9-6 with a 2.69 ERA in 22 starts. By the way, this was good enough for him to be named the National League Rookie of the Year.
While deGrom’s health and velocity is something to keep an eye on, we do know that deGrom can pitch very effectively even without the 96 MPH fastball. Most likely, deGrom just needs a day or two off to get some rest. Hopefully, he gets it now because once his son is born, he’s not getting any rest or sleep.
Well, that happened quickly. I think Mets fans took longer to boo Bobby Bonilla and Jason Bay than they have Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes has gone from a conquering hero to getting booed within just four regular season games.
Part of this is created by the fans’ unrealistic expectations. Cespedes came to the Mets last year, and he hit .287/.337/.604 with 17 homeruns and 44 RBI in just 57 games. Everytime he stepped to the plate last year, you expected magic. Whether Mets fans admit it or not, they’re expecting [or desperately hoping] for more of the same this year. It’s just not going to happen. Cespedes is a career .270/.319/.484 hitter. Prior to 2015, he averaged 24 homeruns and 81 RBI. He’s a career .234/.298/.477 hitter at Citi Field.
What Mets fans saw last year was not the real Cespedes. To hold him to that standard is unfair and unrealistic. Similarly, Cespedes’ struggles so far this season is also not the real Cespedes.
There is no doubt Cespedes has had a rough start to the season. On his first play of the season, he dropped an easy out giving Mets fans flashbacks to the inside-the-park homerun created by his lacksadasical play. At the plate, he has not been good, and at times, he has appeared overmatched. So far, he is 2-16 with seven strikeouts. With all that said, Mets fans have an awfully short leash if they’re starting to boo him.
Yes, it is too soon to boo him. However, it is not too soon to be concerned.
Last year, Cespedes removed himself from Game Four of the NLCS with an aggravated AC joint. With the shoulder injury, Cespedes would hit .150/.143/.150 with son extra base hits and six strikeouts in what was for him a forgettable World Series.
During Spring Training, Cespedes felt a twinge in the same shoulder. Additionally, he dealt with a sore hip. These two issues caused Cespedes to only miss one game. However, Cespedes was dealing with some injuries that could affect his ability to make solid contact. In fact, he’s one of a few players in baseball who have yet to have one hard hit ball this season.
Another issue that could be affecting Cespedes is his approach at the plate. Hitting Coach Kevin Long worked with Cespedes to focus on driving the ball up the middle and the other way rather than pulling the ball as ferociously as he did with the Mets last year. At times this year, Cespedes has looked lost or crossed up at the plate.
So no, it is not time to boo Cespedes. It is way too soon in the season. However, with his injuries and changing approach at the plate, it’s not too soon to get nervous about Cespedes.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsmerizedonline.com
It was a cold windy night at Citi Field. If you’ve been to one of those games, especially in the Promenade, you’re freezing. About the only thing colder than those fans tonight were the bats.
While the Phillies are going to be terrible this year, perhaps ’62 Mets terrible, we did get a glimpse of the hope for the Phillies future. Vincent Velasquez started for the Phillies, and he absolutely dominated the Mets. He allowed only three hits, three walks, and he struck out nine in six innings.
It’s not fluke for Velasquez. He’s a prospect with a high ceiling. Tonight, he featured a filthy curveball and a fastball with life. More importantly, he was locating those pitches. While facing the Phillies 19 years will be fun, facing Velasquez both this year and the years to come will be unpleasant.
As for Velasquez’s counterpart, Bartolo Colon, Mets fans were treated to the full Colon experience. He dominated a bad ballclub. He pounded the strike zone while fastballs in the high 80’s. Shockingly, he did get one up to 92 MPH. He didn’t allow a walk while striking out seven. He also lost his batting helmet while swinging and missing at a pitch. Furthermore, Colon made a terrific play in the field:
They don’t call him #BigSexy for nothing! pic.twitter.com/WP9FLaqvuT
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) April 10, 2016
The only mistake he made was a pitch to Ryan Howard that was deposited in the left field stands for the Phillies only run of the game.
Now, this run should not have held up. The Phillies have an abominable bullpen. In the eighth inning, David Hernandez was erratic. Asdrubal Cabrera, Yoenis Cespedes, and Lucas Duda got to three balls in the count. None of them reached base.
The Mets are allowed to lose a game. They’re allowed to not hit when a pitcher like Velasquez is just dealing. However, this Phillies bullpen is dreadful. They were wild and gave the Mets very hittable pitches. If the Mets want to win the division, they need to take advantage of these opportunities. You cannot be shut out by this Phillies team. It’s inexcusable.
Some important notes on the Mets. The team was smart in sitting David Wright on a cold windy day. Travis d’Arnaud threw out another would be basestealer. Teams seem to be adjusting to Michael Conforto by pounding him inside. Conforto would go 0-3 with a strikeout against Velasquez. Hansel Robles pitched to Cameron Rupp without any incident. Cespedes continues to struggle starting the year 2-16 with seven strikeouts. He received some boos.
On June 1, 2012, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in Mets history with a surgically repaired shoulder.
The shoulder injury cost Santana the entire 2011 season, and the Mets wanted to be cautious with their ace in 2012. He was in the middle of a six year $137.5 million contract. The Mets certainly wanted to see Santana pitch effectively to the end of the contract. Accordingly on that rainy June night, Santana was supposed to be limited to 110 – 115 pitches. Santana threw his 115th pitch with two outs in the eighth inning.
Terry Collins checked with Santana each step of the way. Santana was not going to let Collins pull him from the game. Santana fought hard to reach this point and getting this no-hitter was his reward. Finally, on his 134th pitch, Santana became the first ever Met to throw a no-hitter. Instead of jubilation, Collins openly wept in the post game press conference. He admitted he kept thinking about what effect this could have on Santana’s career. He said, “It was without a doubt, the worst night I’ve ever spent in baseball.”
After that fateful night, Santana would made 10 more starts. He went 3-7 with an 8.27 ERA. Batters hit .327/.377/.587 against him. He averaged just under five innings per start. He was shut down in August. He needed a second shoulder surgery in the offseason. He hasn’t thrown another pitch in the majors since then. His career effectively ended one glorious rainy night when he was 33 years old.
Looking back at the moment five years later, Santana still has no regrets.
Last night, in his fifth ever game as a manager, Dave Roberts was in the same position Collins was almost six years ago. Ross Stripling was looking to become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first ever start since 1892 when Bumpus Jones did it.
Unlike Jones, Stripling has had Tommy John surgery. This was only his 15th start since the surgery, and the first one this season. Heading into the start, it was determined he would be limited to 100 pitches. He reached the hundredth pitch with one out in the eight inning. He was five outs from history. Dave Roberts came out of the dugout and pulled Striplng from the game. Roberts decided Stripling’s future was worth more than just this one game:
Dave Roberts: "Under no circumstance am I going to even consider putting his future in jeopardy."
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) April 9, 2016
The San Francisco crowd booed. People watching the game on television were in disbelief. Many felt it was karma that the Dodgers lost the no-hitter and the lead when the very next batter homered. About the only person on the planet who agreed with Dave Roberts was Ross Stripling:
Ross Stripling: "As far as getting taken out, I think it was the right choice. i was tired."
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) April 9, 2016
It begs the question – who made the right decision? Collins or Roberts?
Fact is, we’ll never know. If Collins lifts Santana after his 115th pitch, he may still have needed shoulder surgery. If Stripling threw 134 or more pitches last night, he may have felt no ill effects. He might’ve had a long and healthy career. With that said, there could be room for both Collins and Roberts to have been right in the decisions they made.
Collins let a player who fought so hard to get to this point have his moment of glory. Roberts might’ve robbed a young player of his moment, but he also might’ve made a decision that could allow Stripling to pitch 10 plus years in the majors.
Admittedly, I wanted Stripling to continue pitching. I wanted to see history be made. However, I will not say I was shocked at the decision. For better or worse, this is the culture of baseball. Everyone pays more attention to pitch counts. Pitch counts are around because organizations look for ways to prevent pitcher injuries. Pitch counts are a part of the game.
Keep in mind, if you ask any Mets fans how many pitches Santana threw in his no-hitter, they will answer 134 without hesitation. They will do it much in the same way Dodger fans will forever know Stripling threw 100 pitches in his first ever start.
Shortly after the Mets won the NL East, the Mets sought to cash-in on the opportunity by selling champagne bottles and corks from the team’s celebration. To be fair, other teams did it too, but it feels different when it’s the Mets.
Now, the Mets and Jostens are taking it to the next level:
You were a part of the team all season! Purchase your own National League Champions ring >> https://t.co/Mamj1PjdMR pic.twitter.com/kxGTh55sMv
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 7, 2016
First off, I’d like to note how the Mets went with Jostens. If Jostens sounds familiar, they should. They’re the company that made that cheap over-priced high school graduation ring of yours. You know the design. Giant fake stone on top, year on one side, and some design on the other. I’m happy to see they didn’t stray too far from that pattern here.
A team like the New York Giants went with Tiffany for their championships rings, but I digress.
Jostens has created a 2015 Mets Championship Fan Collection. Put aside your feelings on whether the collection looks good or not. That’s subjective. Regardless of whether you like it or not, the collection is overpriced, and you can better spend your money elsewhere.
Note, I don’t go through the Women’s collection because neither my wife nor mother would want any of it. If anyone’s going to buy stuff like this, it’s me. As you’ll see, no, I will not be buying anything from the collection.
Let’s start with the $39.00 key ring.
First of all, let’s be honest – $39.00 for a key ring is absurd. It’s even worse when it’s made out of “non-precious metals” (i.e. tin or titanium). If you go Amazon, you can get a Mets keychain that also serves as a bottle opener for $7.53. It not only serves the same purpose, but it’s also more useful.
In terms of Mets tickets, $39.00 can get you Promenade Infield tickets to a Mets game this weekend. For a dollar more, you can sit in the Field Box for a mid-week game.
The next item on the list is a $199.00 paperweight:
At least this uses Swarovski crystals which have some value. However, why do you need to spend $199.00 to hold papers down on a desk? Is your office located in a wind tunnel? Are there no rocks available outside that you can use to hold down the papers that are in no threat to go flying off your desk?
Instead, for that same $199.00 you can sit in the Delta Club when the Mets play the Royals in June. These seats are behind homeplate, and it gives you access to the Delta Sky360 Club. At some point, you may be able to pick up an authentic rock – or paperweight – from Citi Field to hold down your papers.
Next up are the priced all over the spectrum cuff links:
Before discussing price, did you notice something about these cuff links? They don’t have anything denoting these are the 2015 National League Champions cuff links. In essence, these are really just Mets cuff links with a discolored interlocking NY. However, unlike when you go to a jewelry store to purchase a set of cuff links, you can “customize” these:
- White Lustrium & Cubic Zirconia – $269.00
- Silver Elite & Cubic Zirconia – $399.00
- White Lustrium & Diamonds – $1,369.00
- Silver Elite & Diamonds – $1,499.00
- 10K White Gold & Cubic Zirconia – $1,509.00
- 10K White Gold & Diamonds – $2,609.00
Well, that’s quite a range. You could spend anywhere from $269.00 to $2,609.00 for effectively something that does the same thing – it keeps your shirt sleeves fastened while effectively preventing you from rolling up your sleeves and getting some real work done.
As we know from the paperweight, you can get tickets to the Delta Club for the price of the White Lustrium (by the way I must’ve missed that metal on the Periodic Table of Elements) and Cubic Zirconium cuff links. If you upgraded to the silver, you could get the Promenade Reserved 20 Game Weekday Plan or a ticket to the Hyundai Club seats for a Mets-Yankee game. The Hyundai club also includes free food for the game.
Once you start talking diamonds (A WHOLE 0.150 CARATS!), you’re talking some really good season ticket plan options. For the White Lustrium and Diamonds, you can purchase the following:
- Excelsior Box 20 Game Plan (Sunday, Saturday, or Weekday)
- Promenade Infield Weekend or Promenade Gold Weekday Half Season Plan
- Promenade Infield Full Season Plan
As you move up the line towards 10K Gold and Diamonds, you can get the same plans in better seat locations. If you got the “top of the line” cuff links, you can get a full season ticket plan in the Field Reserved.
Now that we’re at the higher priced options, here’s the Mets Tag necklace:
As you have the option to customize it, the price of this varies. By the way, you have to love the gaul it takes to make jewelery in the fashion of an identification for soldiers in the event they die. Who knows the reason why they went in this direction? Maybe this is a relica of what they give you when you enlist with The 7 Line Army.
Depending on how you choose to customize this necklace, the cost will be as follows:
- Silver Elite & Cubic Zirconia – $649.00
- Silver Elite & Diamonds – $779.00
- 10K White Gold & Cubic Zirconia – $2,469.00
- 10K Gold & Diamonds – $2,599.00
They don’t give you the carats for the diamonds because you don’t want to know. By the way, think of the caliber of diamonds they are using if it costs only $130 more than cubic zirconia.
This necklace is so expensive, we are now in the realm of season ticket plans no matter which option you select. If you do the cheapest necklace route, it’s the equivalent of the Coke Corner 20 game Sunday Plan, a Promenade Infield 20 game Saturday Plan, or a Field Reserved 20 game Weekday Plan. You also could purchase a Promenade Reserved Weekday Half Season Plan.
Naturally, as you move to “Silver Elite” to 10K White Gold, the level of ticket plans you can get is much better. If you selected the White Gold and Diamonds, you could purchase with the same amount of money:
- Metropolitan Box 20 Game Saturday Plan
- Metropolitan Silver 20 Game Sunday Plan
- Metropolitan Silver 20 Game Weekday Plan
- Baseline Silver Weekend Half Season Plan
- Field Box Weekday Half Season Plan
- Field Reserved Season Tickets
By the way, how elite is this silver if it’s worth about $2,000 less than white gold?
Finally, we’re at the piece de resistance:
You can get your very own knockoff -sorry replica – National League Champions ring. Before reading, scroll back up to the paperweight. Yes, they look different. It’s understandable. Even though everything else is overpriced, to replicate the actual ring with diamonds or cubic zirconium would’ve been cost prohibitive. Note, they don’t tell you what that big blue stone in the middle is.
Like some of the other options, you can decide between the metal and the stones. However, unlike the other items, you can personalize the ring with your name or whatever else you decide. Here are the price breakdowns:
- White Lustrium – $349.00
- Silver Elite – $799.00
- 10K White Gold – $4,889.00
There’s no difference in price between ring sizes. It costs the same whether you have fat fingers or slender piano player fingers. Also, it costs nothing extra to have the ring engraved. Based upon what’s already covered, we know based upon these prices you can sit in the Hyundai Club or get full season tickets.
But hold on one second. The white gold ring costs $4,889.00! Seriously? That’s any 20 game plan in the Hyundai Club. Your half season plan is in the Metropolitan Box on weekends and Metroploitan Silver on weekends. Your full season ticket plan is in the Field Box. With that money, you can probably buy a jersey that never should’ve been sold in the first place.
If this doesn’t convince you to buy tickets, or spend your hard earned money otherwise, ask yourself a question: when will you ever wear any of this? If you’re going to wear the stuff, ignore my sarcasm and snark. Go buy it. However, I really find it hard to believe you will wear a National League Champions ring anywhere. Think about it. When did you last wear your high school graduation ring? You actually earned that one.
If the Mets won the World Series, I’d probably buy all of this garbage. I think when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, I purchased a Super Bowl Champions dog water dish, and I don’t even own a dog (I didn’t).
With that said, save your money right now. You’re going to need it for World Series tickets this year and the 2016 World Series Champion Fan Collection.
Last year, we were all spoiled by Matt Harvey‘s return from Tommy John surgery. Even if it took him almost a full season to find his slider, he pitched well, and he was healthy all year. We forgot that he had major surgery and issues can arise during either the surgery or rehabilitation period.
We forgot about former Mets like Jason Isringhausen, who had three Tommy John surgeries. We forgot about Jeremy Hefner, who was rehabbing from his Tommy John surgery at the same time as Harvey. During his rehab, something went wrong, and he had to have a second Tommy John surgery. Mets released him, and now he’s working his way back to the majors through the Cardinals’ organization. Harvey made us forget about all that could go wrong.
Now, there are reports that Zack Wheeler needed to have minor surgery to remove a stitch that didn’t resolve from his Tommy John surgery. He’s going to need two weeks off to allow the wound to heal. He’s now at least two more weeks further away from pitching in the 2016 season.
It’s a reminder that while we all look forward to Wheeler toeing the rubber again, it’s far from a foregone conclusion that’ll happen. There’s still every possibility that Wheeler could have another setback on his road back. In reality, until further notice, Bartolo Colon is the Mets’ fifth starter. Overall, anything the Mets get from Wheeler this year is an unexpected bonus.
We forgot all of that during Harvey’s 2015 season. We’re now reminded of it again. Let’s all wish Wheeler a speedy recovery and wait for the day that he’s once again pitching for the Mets . . . whenever that might be.