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Jed Lowrie “Not Close” To 2019 Debut

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TODAY: Speaking to reporters (including Newsday’s Tim Healey) on Saturday, Van Wagenen didn’t say whether Lowrie was still suffering from only his hamstring problem, or if he was dealing with a re-aggravation of his original knee issue, or another injury altogether.  “I’m not going to get into any more details beyond the fact that his left side needs to be working in concert with each other,” the Mets GM said.  “The knee to the hamstring, we want to make sure that the kinetic chain is working together and that his posture and his functionality is working.”

THURSDAY: Infielder Jed Lowrie was one of the Mets’ most significant acquisitions of the winter, when they signed the former Athletic to a two-year, $20MM contract. Lowrie still hasn’t debuted with his new club since suffering a knee strain in February, though, and his return to the majors isn’t on the horizon.

Although Lowrie’s knee has healed, he incurred a hamstring strain last month that continues to prevent him from taking the field. Updating Lowrie’s status Thursday, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said the 35-year-old is “not close” to embarking on a rehab assignment, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Durability issues have been all too common for Lowrie since he began his career with the Red Sox in 2008, though he enjoyed healthy seasons in Oakland from 2017-18. During that two-year period, the switch-hitting Lowrie appeared in 310 of a possible 324 regular-season games, amassed 1,325 plate appearances and slashed .272/.356/.448 (121 wRC+) with 37 home runs. Going by fWAR (8.5), Lowrie was the league’s third-most valuable second baseman in his final two seasons with the A’s.

Lowrie parlayed his late-career renaissance into his high-paying deal with the Mets, who were expecting more of the same. Whether it was a wise allocation of resources on rookie general manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s part is debatable. After all, the Lowrie signing came on the heels of the acquisitions of two other infielders – Robinson Cano and J.D. Davis – and the Mets also had Jeff McNeil and Todd Frazier on hand to compete for second and third base spots. As it turns out, the currently injured Cano has been among the Mets’ biggest disappointments this season, while Davis, McNeil and Frazier (especially McNeil) rank as three of their most productive contributors.

The Mets’ major commitment to Cano and the success Davis, McNeil and Frazier have enjoyed further call into question how Lowrie will fit on their roster if he does return. He’s not going to usurp first base from NL Rookie of the Year favorite Pete Alonso, nor does Lowrie seem likely to take over shortstop (where he hasn’t played extensively since 2014) for Amed Rosario. Meanwhile, the Mets have two cornerstone corner outfielders in Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo (also injured), and first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith has been tremendous in a part-time role.

Health Notes: Zimmermann, Nimmo, Marlins, Smith, Wood, Dozier

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Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, currently on the mend after suffering a UCL sprain, looks to be nearing his return, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. On Thursday, Zimmermann threw 4 2/3 innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo, coming away pleased with the 69 pitches he threw and declaring his readiness to rejoin the Major League rotation for his next start. Whether that will actually come to fruition is up to the Tigers’ brass, though manager Ron Gardenhire seemed hesitant to welcome back a pitcher whose limited workload could lead to more bullpen days, which the team is trying to avoid. Regardless, the 33-year-old’s return looks to be just around the corner, certainly a promising development for a team that has had to patch together a starting staff after withstanding injuries to four-fifths of its Opening Day rotation.

Here are the latest updates on other injuries from around baseball…

  • Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is going to consult more specialists about the bulging disc in his neck, tweets Tim Healey of Newsday. Nimmo has been sidelined with that same injury since May 20, and the latest is a troubling development for an organization that has been maligned for its handling of players’ injuries. At this time, there is still no timeline for when Nimmo might be cleared to return.
  • Marlins left-hander Caleb Smith has been cleared to begin a throwing program, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Smith landed on the 10-day IL on June 7 thanks to inflammation in his left hip, but it doesn’t appear that the injury will keep him out much longer, as Smith is on track to return in late June. The 27-year-old southpaw has quietly emerged as a promising starter for the Marlins, having struck out 82 batters in 62 innings of work. Over the last two seasons in Miami, Smith has posted an impressive 3.83 ERA in 143 1/3 innings.
  • Hunter Dozier will spend the next three days rehabbing with the Royals’ Double-A affiliate, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, who adds that Dozier will later join Triple-A Omaha after the birth of his child. The next step following that is to work his way back to the MLB club, which is good news for the Royals, who originally tabbed Dozier to return in late June. It looks like that timeline is still a realistic target for the third baseman, who has emerged as one of Kansas City’s few untouchable pieces and an All-Star candidate in the American League.
  • Another promising update for the Reds, with left-hander Alex Wood nearing a rehab assignment, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, who tweets that the southpaw has a live BP session on Tuesday, which could lead to a minor-league rehab stint if all goes well. Wood, 28, has been dealing with lower back soreness that has put his Reds debut on hold. However, it looks as if that time could come around the All-Star break for the former Dodger.

Mets Agree To Sign Second-Rounder Josh Wolf

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  • The Mets have agreed to a deal with second-round pick Josh Wolf, Yahoo Sports’ Matt Ehalt (Twitter links) reports, that will be finalized when Wolf passes a physical.  Wolf will land a $2.15MM bonus, well above the 53rd overall pick’s slot price of $1,370,400.  The Mets drafted mostly college seniors among their top ten picks and have agreed to far below-slot contracts with several of them, creating bonus pool space for tougher signs like third-rounder Matthew Allan and his fellow high school right-hander in Wolf.  The 18-year-old throws a plus curveball, and also saw a big velocity jump in his senior year that put his fastball consistently in the mid-90’s.  MLB.com ranked Wolf 36th on its prospect list, with Law (46th), BA (54th) and Fangraphs (60th) also showing strong regard for former Texas A&M commit.

Mets Place Noah Syndergaard On IL, Activate Robinson Cano

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The Mets have placed right-hander Noah Syndergaard on the 10-day injured list, Tim Britton of The Athletic was among those to report. They activated second baseman Robinson Cano from the IL to take Syndergaard’s 25-man roster spot.

Syndergaard exited his start Saturday with a hamstring strain, though it’s not yet clear how severe it is. Regardless, this will go down as yet another injury-shortened season for Syndergaard, who hasn’t been at his usual form when he has taken the mound this year. Having allowed four earned runs in six innings during a win over the Cardinals on Saturday, Syndergaard owns a career-worst 4.55 ERA in 95 frames. The 26-year-old’s strikeout rate (8.81 per nine) and swinging-strike percentage (12.0) are also all-time lows, though he has still managed to limit walks (2.27 per nine), induce ground balls (47.6 percent) and post a 3.59 FIP.

It’s unclear how the Mets will replace Syndergaard during his absence. Even when Syndergaard was healthy, a lack of starting depth was a problem for the team. It’s possible the Mets will now turn to Triple-A righty Walker Lockett, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com suggests.

Cano, meanwhile, has landed on the IL twice since May 23 with left quad issues. The Mets reinstated Cano from his first IL trip June 5, only to place him on the shelf again after the 36-year-old re-aggravated the injury in his first game back.

With Cano, a first-year Met, set to serve as one of their highest-paid players over the next few seasons, all they can do is hope his durable ways return. Prior to 2018, when he fractured his hand on a hit by pitch, Cano was a pillar of health for the Yankees and Mariners. From 2007-17, he appeared in no fewer than 150 regular-season games each year.

Now, if Cano’s quad problem is behind him, the Mets will need far better production from the offseason acquisition. Cano has slashed a meek .238/.264/.388 (76 wRC+) with three home runs in 183 plate appearances this year.

Zack Wheeler Drawing Interest

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To state the obvious, this season hasn’t gone according to plan for the Mets. They’re the owners of a 34-36 record, staring at a 5 1/2-game deficit in their division and a five-game mark for the National League’s second wild card. First-time general manager Brodie Van Wagenen boldly suggested over the winter the Mets would take on all comers in 2019, but his roster has instead spun its wheels for a couple months.

Barring a turnaround leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, the Mets may have to consider selling off players they deem nonessential to their future – perhaps to boost an inadequate farm system. As things stand, the Mets aren’t giving up on buying, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. If the team does a 180 on that mindset, though, it’ll have an intriguing trade chip in starter Zack Wheeler. The right-hander’s on many teams’ radars, including the crosstown rival Yankees’, according to Heyman.

The 29-year-old Wheeler’s in his final season of team control, in which he’s making a reasonable $5.975MM. The fact that he’s affordable enhances his trade value, though this hasn’t been a banner contract year in terms of results for Wheeler.

After missing most of 2015-17 because of injuries, the former Tommy John surgery patient returned last year to fire 182 1/3 innings of 3.31 ERA/3.25 FIP ball. This season, though, his 4.87 ERA through 88 2/3 frames ranks eighth worst among 81 qualified major league starters. Along the way, Wheeler’s average exit velocity against has gone from 84.7 mph to 87.8 mph and his hard-hit rate has risen from 27.1 percent to 34.4 since 2018, according to Statcast. Better contact against Wheeler has led to more balls leaving the yard. Wheeler yielded home runs on a paltry 8.1 percent of fly balls a year ago, but he’s now at 14.1.

Despite the red flags in Wheeler’s production, there are clear reasons for hope. With a 97 mph average fastball and a sinker that typically clocks in at 96, he remains one of the hardest-throwing starters in baseball. Wheeler’s velo has helped him increase his strikeout rate from 8.84 per nine in 2018 to a career-high 10.05 this season, while his swinging-strike percentage (11.2) and walk rate (2.64) also represent personal bests. Although Wheeler’s not getting as many ground balls as he did earlier in his career, his GB percentage (44.4) is still above average, as is his 12 percent infield fly rate. Unsurprisingly, the gap between his weighted on-base average against/expected wOBA (.307/.296) indicates he has deserved somewhat better to this point.

While this season hasn’t gone to Wheeler’s liking, it seems fair to say he’s an above-average major league starter. He’d therefore be one of the best starters on the block this summer if the Mets were to put him there, trailing Matthew Boyd but perhaps ranking in the vicinity of Marcus Stroman and Madison Bumgarner. However, it’ll be a moot point if the Mets decide to retain Wheeler, which seems to be their intention as of now. Plenty can change in the next month and a half, though.

Noah Syndergaard Leaves Game Due To Hamstring Strain

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Mets ace Noah Syndergaard left tonight’s start due to a right hamstring strain, the team announced.  The injury took place during the seventh inning, as Syndergaard came up limping after a play that saw the Cardinals’ Yairo Munoz steal second base.  The right-hander was immediately removed from the game after a visit from the trainer.  An IL stint seems likely, since the description of the injury as a strain (as noted by Newsday’s Tim Healey) indicates a certain amount of severity.

Syndergaard hasn’t quite pitched up to his usual ace-like levels in 2019, with only a 4.45 ERA over 95 innings for New York.  ERA indicators (3.56 FIP, 3.95 xFIP, 3.96 SIERA) are a bit more impressed by his performance, though overall, Syndergaard’s K/9, home run rate, swinging-strike rate, and hard-hit ball rate have all gone in the wrong direction from his 2018 numbers.  That said, most of Syndergaard’s problems took place during a rough April, and he has since largely gotten on track over his last nine outings.

If and when Syndergaard misses time, the Mets don’t have much in the way of starting pitching options to fill the void.  Wilmer Font or Chris Flexen could be again stretched out, veteran Ervin Santana is down at Single-A building up arm strength, while rookie Walker Lockett is perhaps the best healthy option at Triple-A.

In the big picture, an extended absence for Syndergaard might also push the Mets to turn towards selling prior to the trade deadline.  New York entered tonight’s action with a 33-36 record, 7.5 games behind Atlanta in the NL East and five games behind the Cubs and Phillies in the wild card race.  Two days ago, GM Brodie Van Wagenen was still expressing confidence that his team could remain in the postseason hunt, and while there’s still a lot of baseball to be played before July 31, the Mets could start exploring the market now for potential takers for some of their veteran assets.

Mets Acquire Brooks Pounders

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The Mets have acquired righty Brooks Pounders from the Indians for cash considerations, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Pounders, 28, had spent the entire season with AAA-Columbus, posting a solid 2.17 ERA with an 11.83 K/9 in 35 IP.  Though unquestionably impressive in the new, juiced-up Triple-A landscape, Pounders’ line was suppressed by a .217 BABIP and obviously unsustainable 87.6% LOB. His FIP was a more pedestrian 3.67, and deeper peripheral marks were even less encouraged.

In 35 career MLB innings for the Royals, Angels, and Rockies, the hulking righty has pitched to an 8.92 ERA/6.39 FIP with a startling 3.05 HR/9 over that span. He did put together an impressive line last season, spinning 15 1/3 innings of 9.98 K/9/1.17 BB/9 ball for the Wild Card-winning Rockies. Pounders’ll look to stabilize what’s been one of MLB’s worst bullpens this season, with only Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman, and the suddenly homer-prone Edwin Diaz offering anything in the way of dependability thus far.

Mets Designate Hector Santiago

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The Mets have designated left-hander Hector Santiago for assignment, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets.

A former starter for the White Sox, Angels and Twins, the 31-year-old Santiago joined the Mets on a minor league deal over the winter. Santiago didn’t crack the Mets’ roster at first, instead opening the year at the Triple-A level. He logged a 3.35 ERA/4.94 FIP with 7.95 K/9 and 4.81 BB/9 in 43 innings as a member of New York’s top affiliate before the club summoned him to the majors in late May.

While Santiago has worked as a starter in the minors this season, he functioned exclusively as a reliever with the Mets before they cut him from their 40-man. In eight innings, Santiago allowed six earned runs on 10 hits and five walks (against six strikeouts). Santiago could end up heading back to Syracuse next, though he’ll be able to reject an outright assignment to the minors if he wants.

Mets To Sign First-Round Pick Brett Baty

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JUNE 14: The deal will be announced tomorrow, Healey tweets. Baty receives $3.9MM, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link), thus leaving the Mets some added room to work with.

JUNE 11: Mets first-round pick Brett Baty will take a physical and sign a deal with the club this weekend, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. Financial details aren’t known yet, but as the 12th overall selection, Baty’s pick comes with a recommended slot value of $4,366,400.

The 19-year-old Baty is a high school third baseman from Texas who entered the draft as a consensus top 20 prospect. FanGraphs was highest on the now-former University of Texas commit going into the draft, ranking him eighth. Baseball America had Baty at No. 15, while ESPN’s Keith Law and MLB.com placed him 17th.

Although there are concerns about Baty’s age and whether he’ll stick at third base, all of those outlets think a great deal of his power potential and general offensive upside. FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen compare Baty to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman, a first-round pick in 2018 who’s one of the majors’ best prospects.

Mets Place Matt Kemp On Minor League IL

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  • Mets minor league outfielder Matt Kemp is dealing with lingering effects of a broken rib he suffered in April, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets placed Kemp on the minor league IL as a result. The 34-year-old Kemp settled for a minors pact with the Mets on May 24, three weeks after Cincinnati released him. Kemp slashed a brutal .200/.210/.283 (23 wRC+) in 62 plate appearances with Cincy and hasn’t been much better as a member of the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse. So far, Kemp has hit .235/.278/.324 (52 wRC+) in 36 tries at the minors’ top level.

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