May
14
2012

Prospect Pulse: Jenrry Mejia Sharp In Rehab Start

An article by Petey Pete

Mets right-hander Jenrry Mejia (1-0 2.45) stepped in to make a rehab start Monday night in St. Lucie’s game against the Bradenton Marauders. It was Mejia’s second rehab start in his attempt to come back from last year’s Tommy John Surgery. In his first game on May 9th against Brevard County, Mejia went five innings giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks, with one strikeout.

In his start tonight Mejia went the first six innings while giving up just one run on three hits with no walks, and seven strikeouts. The one run he gave up was a solo home run to ex-Met farmhand Stef Welch. After Mejia pitched, St. Lucie went on to win the game with three innings of lock-down relief by righty Johan Almonte. The 4-1 victory was the first W for Mejia since April 13th, 2011.

When I spoke with Wally Backman at the end of April, I asked him if he was going to get Mejia there with the Bisons, once the young righty is deemed healthy and ready to go. Wally said simply, “we’ll get him.” Well Mejia took a huge step closer to Buffalo with his performance tonight. Perhaps two more rehab starts, three tops, and Jenrry will be shuffled off to Buffalo.

About the Author: Peter Shapiro

The first time I went to Shea was not for a Mets game, it was for the Beatles concert there in August of '66. My first Met game was '67, a guy named Salty Parker was the interim-manager then. My first pennant race was 1969. As a 12 year-old that summer and fall, I managed to get to the park for 3 games. The first was the beginning of the Miracle which actually started on Tuesday July 8, 1969 with a day game against the Cubs. I was there a lot in '73. I saw games 3 & 5 of the 1973 NL Playoffs against the "Big Red Machine", from the upper deck behind home plate. It was from there that I witnessed the fight between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose, and the mayhem that ensued. And that sweet victory in game 5! I saw a couple of WS games at Shea that year against that legendary Oakland A's club. I was there in 1985 for every single game Dr. K pitched including his two 16 strikeout performances, and the day he one-hit the Cubs on an infield single and the Mets won 1-0. I loved being a Met fan in those days. Hopefully we are once again preparing to emerge from the darkness.

6 Comments + Add Comment

Mr North Jersey May 14, 2012 at 9:13 pm

Nice, It’s good to see Mejia back.
Even Flow May 14, 2012 at 9:32 pm

Great news! I hope that this time around, when he does get to Buffalo, he’ll remain there to get some actual time in, get a good feel Vs AAA teams (about a good 100 innings wouldn’t hurt) instead of getting rushed up after a handful of starts. I want him truly prepared for the big leagues the second time he comes up.
Stick May 14, 2012 at 10:18 pm

he really is making a quick recovery from the TJ. And he seems to be pitching better than before he went down. wonder how long the bad tendon may have been impacting him? Or just a small sample, and A ball hitters. In any case, great news that he is recovered and feeling good.
Fonzie13 May 14, 2012 at 11:50 pm

I still have doubts that he’ll be able to be a 200 innigs a year starter. Hope he proves me wrong. I just see him as our long time late inning fireman, if not closer.
- Des May 15, 2012 at 12:14 am
  
  Fonzie13 — I have some doubts too about Jenrry’s ability to throw 200 or more innings. But it’s been done before by smaller guys. Ron Guidry was shorter and much lighter in weight but he threw a ton of innings in his career. So the jury is still out and maybe the kid can do it.
Metsie May 15, 2012 at 12:18 pm

What really bother’s me is we are likely to see the same mistake Omar made with Mejia soon if Francisco keeps doing what he has been doing lately!

All that effort to turn Mejia into a starter only to see it undone by throwing him back into the pen because of the state of the MLB bullpen acquisitions.

I hope that doesn’t happen because if we get Mejia to be a very good starter we have the makings of a Starting rotation that could be as formidable as the 86 rotation was!
If Harvey or Wheeler are all everyone cracks them up to be!

NL East Standings

Team	W	L	Pct.	GB
Braves	42	30	.583	-
Phillies	35	37	.486	7.0
Nationals	34	36	.486	7.0
Mets	27	40	.403	12.5
Marlins	22	48	.314	19.0

Last updated: 06/19/2013

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