Keep your fingers crossed for good new on Zack  Wheeler.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped a game to Albuquerque, 8-5.
• Binghamton took down Akron, 7-3.
• St. Lucie one-hit Brevard County, 4-0.
• Savannah lost via walk-off, 4-3. 
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler‘s MRI is not worrying me as much as it should. Mitch detailed some concerns with the inverted W delivery that he employs yesterday and how it can weaken a shoulder – but I think I’m just hoping for the best here. Wheeler has been so impressive in his past few starts that I doubt it is anything serious. What I am worried about, however, is further changes to his mechanics that may throw him off his game.
• Logan Verrett continued to impress with another quality start yesterday, which was mapped out by our own John Bernhardt who went as far as to call it gritty in discussion with me. Verrett received a no-decision in yesterday’s start, but rocks a 3.15 ERA in eight starts with a 5-1 record. Opposing hitters are batting just .207 against him with 40 hits in 54 innings.
• Matthew Bowman, or Princeton’s Lincecum as Teddy K. calls him, was absolutely masterful last night when he tossed seven innings of one-hit ball. He combined with T.J. Chism for the one-hit shutout. Bowman is a polished pitcher with some college experience, so his domination of Savannah and potential future domination of St. Lucie can be taken with a grain of salt. It is still awesome to see, however. 
• Gabriel Ynoa continues to show some poise for his relatively young age, as he recorded a quality outing yesterday with six-and-a-third innings of two-run ball. This is a name you should really keep tabs on going forward.
• How about Jack Leathersich continuing to employ a ridiculous strikeout rate? He has 33 strikeouts in 17.2 innings, and if my math is correct, he stands at about a K/9 of 17…Wow. Opposing hitters have been held to a .190 average against him.
• Zach Lutz is on a six-game hitting streak and he has had multiple hits in three of those games, with a three-hit performance coming in last night’s game. He owns a .324 average over his last ten games and has also launched three home runs. Of course, there’s that PCL curve to worry about…
• Maikis De La Cruz has looked sharp in his time replacing Brandon Nimmo on the Savannah roster so far. He owns a .391 ( 9 – 23) average in the short sample size.
• Kevin Plawecki actually caused the universe to implode when he decided to hit a triple – not a double – during Tuesday’s Sand Gnats game.

Stat Line of the Day

Matthew Bowman: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 9 K

Transactions/Updates

• Collin McHugh was called up to the New York Mets yesterday. Brandon Hicks was optioned down to Single-A St. Lucie.
• Josh Edgin was promoted to Las Vegas.
• Matthew den Dekker is expected to resume baseball activities in early June.
• OF Jonathan Clark was called up to St. Lucie from the Brooklyn roster.
• Travis d’Arnaud will be examined tomorrow before rehabbing in the PSL.

Video of the Day

Everyone should take a minute out of their day to watch this touching video of Mets catcher Landon Powell and his family. Powell is currently playing for the Las Vegas 51s.

Photo of the Day

So how much longer are we keeping Plawecki in Savannah with me?

St. Lucie 4, Brevard County 0

Matt Bowman and T.J. Chism combined for a one-hit shutout as the Mets cruised past the Brevard County Manatees 4-0 on Tuesday at Tradition Field.

Bowman (2-0) pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just one hit while striking out nine and walking one. Bowman retired the final 12 batters he faced and retired the side in order five times. He allowed just a two-out single to Manatees centerfielder Chadwin Stang into left in the third inning.

Chism retired all six batters in two scoreless innings and fanned three.

The Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single to left by shortstop Brandon Hicks, who played in his first game with St. Lucie. Dustin Lawley‘s two-run double off the glove of Manatees third baseman T.J. Mittelstaedt to left scored T.J. Rivera and Hicks in the third inning.

Rivera finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Hicks also went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

The Mets will visit the host Manatees on Wednesday at Space Coast Stadium at 6:35 p.m. Alex Panteliodis is the scheduled starter for the Mets.

Key Stats

T.J. Rivera: 2-for-4, 2 R

Matt Reynolds: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Brandon Hicks: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R

Dustin Lawley: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Matthew Bowman: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 9 K

T.J. Chism: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K

(Team Report)

Rafael Montero Looks Intimidating (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Albuquerque, 5-2. 
• Binghamton topped Akron, 5-3. 
• St. Lucie dropped to Brevard County, 6-5.
• Savannah lost to Charleston, 5-3. 

Injury News

The Wheeler Watch has taken a turn…hopefully not for the worst. Adam Rubin has reported that Zack Wheeler will miss his next start due to discomfort in his clavicle, and is flying to NY to meet with doctors.

I’m not an injury expert, but I do know that Zack Wheeler pitches using the “Inverted W,” which could put added stress on the anterior labrum ligament in the shoulder — it slowly loosens the ligament and can actually lead to tears. Hopefully this is not why Wheeler is suffering from shoulder discomfort. 

Prospect Pipeline

• Wheeler Watch: Based on Sandy Alderson’s comments yesterday, it sounds like we will probably see him before the All-Star Break. It has to be good for both Wheeler and the team, meaning they won’t call up Wheeler until he is ready to face major league hitters (getting close, if not there already), and the team has holes to fill in the rotation (um, yes). It sounds to me as if Wheeler is on the cusp of making his major league debut. I’m not so much concerned with Wheeler getting called up as I am about how the fans will react when he does. Will they expect Matt Harvey-like success — because he was the exception, not the rule. He will now have the pressure of being the top prospect being called up, have to pitch in New York, and has to live up to Harvey’s success…tough.
• The guy likely to get called up when Wheeler is promoted pitched last night in Binghamton. Rafael Montero pitched another six solid innings last night, striking out six and walking none. Montero is the type of pitcher that is going to give up some hits if his secondary pitches aren’t on point. His fastball isn’t overpowering, and when you are around the strike zone as much as Montero, the hitters are going to put the bat on the ball. Consider his control a gift and a curse at the same time, if his off-speed pitches aren’t working well for him. Montero isn’t going to give any teams free runs, but because of the type of pitcher he is, he isn’t going to hold many teams scoreless. Not for the time being anyway. If he can live on the corners, he may be the type of guy that eventually develops into a shutout threat every time he takes the hill.
• Travis Taijeron is having a solid year for St. Lucie. Over the last ten games, Taijeron is hitting .371 with three home runs and a ridiculous .511 on base percentage.
• It has been two games without a double from Dr. Doubles, Kevin Plawecki. He has 19 two-baggers so far this season.
• Hansel Robles gave up four walks in four innings of work last night. He was pretty pedestrian, although he did manage to strike out five opposing hitters.
• I have to admit that Wilmer Flores is not having the type of season I thought he would be having in a “hitter’s league.” I was hoping he would step up offensivley after Travis d’Arnaud went down with an injury, but I’m just not seeing it. I think most would agree that they expected to see more than a .264 batting average and three home runs from the second highest rated offensive prospect in the organization. The good news is, it’s only May, so Flores can still get on track.

Stat Lines of the Day

Travis Taijeron: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Brandon Hicks assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Las Vegas 51s.

New York Mets optioned Andrew Brown to Las Vegas 51s.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote of the day is from the interview that Sandy Alderson gave on WFAN yesterday afternoon, regarding Zack Wheeler:

“Bringing Zack Wheeler up here, does it create a second day out of five that fans would have a greater interest in watching us play?” Alderson told WFAN radio Monday. “Yeah, I think initially. But if he doesn’t have success, that won’t last very long.”

It sure sounds like Alderson is tip-toeing around this Wheeler call-up. It almost sounds like he is afraid that things are going to go bad, and then everyone is going to turn and point a finger at him demanding his job.

 

The minor league season kicks off this evening for all of the Mets minor league affiliates, aside from the short season teams (Kingsport and Brooklyn), which kick their seasons off in June.

Here are some brief previews for tonight’s Opening Day games:

Las Vegas 51s vs. Sacramento River Cats

Location: Raley Field, Sacramento

Time: 10:05 PM

Zack Wheeler takes the hill for the 51s in tonight’s matchup, and Travis d’Arnaud will be behind the plate. The projected starters are Jamie Hoffmann, Juan Lagares, and Andrew Brown in the outfield, and Wilmer Flores, Omar Quintanilla, Zach Lutz, Brandon Hicks on the infield. The game is available on milb.tv.

Binghamton Mets vs. Akron Aeros

Location: Canal Park, Akron

Time: 6:35 PM

Rafael Montero gets the ball in tonight’s game against the Akron Aeros. The projected lineup should include Allan Dykstra, Wilfredo Tovar, Daniel Muno, and Richard Lucas on the infield; Juan Centeno behind the plate; And some combination of Darrell Ceciliani, Alonzo Harris, Cesar Puello, and Cory Vaughn in the outfield. The game is available on milb.tv.

St. Lucie Mets vs. Jupiter Hammerheads

Location: Tradition Field, Port St. Lucie

Time: 6:35 PM

The weather reports look shaky for the St. Lucie opener later today, but Hansel Robles will be on the hill if and when play begins. The projected lineup should include Cam Maron behind the dish; Aderlin Rodriguez, Matt Reynolds, Brian Harrison, and Rylan Sandoval on the infield; Rounding out the outfield should be Travis Taijeron, Gilbert Gomez and Dustin Lawley; Look for T.J. Rivera to possibly be utilized as the designated hitter.

Savannah Sand Gnats vs. Rome Braves

Location: Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah

Time: 6:35 PM

Stadium Promotions: Help the Sand Gnats celebrate opening night with FREE Gnats Magnets Schedules presented by Coca-Cola to the first first 1,000 families, and a fantastic Fireworks show after the game.

The projected Sand Gnat starters for tonight’s game are:

C—Kevin Plawecki

1B—Jayce Boyd

2B—Chad Zurcher

3B—Cole Frenzel

SS—Phillip Evans

LF—Stefan Sabol

CF—Brandon Nimmo

RF—Eudy Pina

DH—Greg Pron

P—Matt Bowman

Updated 3/22

I wanted to share Adam Rubin’s projected Opening Day roster which is not too dissimilar to what I projected.

Rotation: Jon Niese, Shaun Marcum, Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner.

Bullpen: Bobby Parnell, Brandon Lyon, LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Atchison, Josh Edgin, Pedro Feliciano and Greg Burke.

Infield: Ike Davis, Justin Turner, David Wright, Ruben Tejada and John Buck.

Outfield: Lucas Duda, Collin Cowgill and Jordany Valdespin.

Bench: Marlon Byrd, Mike Baxter, Anthony Recker, Omar Quintanilla and Zach Lutz.

I’m not sure about Lutz, but I do hope he makes the cut….

Original Post 3/18

Beat writers took to Twitter after today’s game and began posting their projected Opening Day lineups. With the reality now setting in that Johan Santana and David Wright could start the season on the DL, here is my projection for our opening day lineup as well as our 25 man roster. My notes follow.

Opening Day Lineup

1. Jordany Valdespin, 2B
2. Collin Cowgill, CF
3. Marlon Byrd, RF
4. Ike Davis, 1B
5. Lucas Duda, LF
6. John Buck, C
7. Justin Turner, 3B
8. Ruben Tejada, SS
9. Jonathon Niese, P

Opening Day Roster

C : John Buck
1B: Ike Davis
2B: Jordany Valdespin
SS: Ruben Tejada
3B: Justin Turner
OF: Lucas Duda
OF: Collin Cowgill
OF: Marlon Byrd

Bench: Zach Lutz
Bench: Mike Baxter
Bench: Omar Quintanilla
Bench: Brandon Hicks
Bench: Anthony Recker

SP: Jonathon Niese
SP: Shaun Marcum
SP: Matt Harvey
SP: Dillon Gee
SP: Jeremy Hefner

RP: Bobby Parnell 
RP: Brandon Lyon
RP: Scott Atchison
RP: LaTroy Hawkins
RP: Josh Edgin
RP: Greg Burke
RP: Pedro Feliciano or Robert Carson

DL: Frank Francisco, Johan Santana, David Wright, Daniel Murphy

Notes:

It looks like any shot that Kirk Nieuwenhuis had of making the team is now gone. It was my hunch all along. Matt den Dekker is another one who won’t be on the OD roster and as I’ve said before, until he can increase his contact rate we won’t see him unless the injury bug hits an already shaky outfield.

I have Mike Baxter making the team, but not because he earned the spot, the Mets have no depth and other options are hitting even worse than he is. Zach Lutz will see some time in the outfield in addition to third base. I don’t think Justin Turner is long for an everyday job and when Daniel Murphy and David Wright come back, I wonder if Turner gets waived.

As I’ve maintained, Travis d’Arnaud will not be on the roster come April 1 despite some scuttlebutt about that yesterday. Like I told another Met blogger yesterday, sandy Alderson does not make player moves based on the whims of fans. There is a methodology to everything that he does.

My sleeper to make the team was Jeremy Hefner back in early February and now he’s not only on the roster, but in the actual starting rotation itself. Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia will start the season in Triple-A they just don’t look like they are ready for the challenge. Not yet.

Still not sold that Alderson will go with just one lefty in the bullpen. The last two years haven’t worked out for the Mets when they went that route and I’d be shocked if they did it now with even worse right-handed crossover relievers than before.

We’ll see how close I came in 13 days when the Mets open the season against the San Diego Padres. You can get tickets to the game at Seat Crunch for the best seats and lowest prices.

Harvey, already in the rotation, gave up two runs in 5.1 innings and was backed by two hits and two runs scored by d’Arnaud in a 3-2 victory today over St. Louis. In an 80-pitch effort, of which 54 were strikes, Harvey struck out six and gave up six hits. Spring training is a progression and today Harvey saw an improvement in his breaking ball.

Of course, being a perfectionist, he wasn’t totally satisfied.“I was really happy about my curveball,’’ Harvey told reporters in Jupiter. “Unfortunately, I gave up too many hits in my mind, but overall I’m healthy and feeling good.’’

Harvey made a good impression in ten starts last year with his fastball and composure, but went into the off-season wanting to improve his breaking ball and change-up.

“The biggest thing from last year was not having my curveball,’’ Harvey said. “I threw a lot of good ones and was able to throw it in the dirt when I needed to. That’s a big pitch for me. Having that back is definitely a big plus for me.’’

Harvey has a 2.95 ERA this spring with 24 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. Over a strikeout an inning is a tremendous ratio, but he is smart enough to realize it is better to get an out on one pitch instead of three. Harvey said 200-plus innings is a goal, and to reach it he must go deep into games by keeping his pitch count down.

“I’m starting to learn that a groundball is just as good (as a strikeout),’’ Harvey said. “Going deep into a game is on my mind. If I go seven or eight innings with three strikeouts, that’s seven or eight innings.”

The Mets gave up Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey to get d’Arnaud, who they regarded as the key to the deal. When speaking of the other, each said the pitcher-catcher relationship is a matter of chemistry, and so far they’ve clicked early.

“It’s a matter of working together and getting on the same page,’’ Harvey said. “In three starts with him, it’s almost like we’ve been with each other for a couple of years.’’

D’Arnaud is ticketed for Triple-A Las Vegas, but the Mets have given him the privilege of sticking around and making him feel like he belongs in the Mets clubhouse. What he liked best about Harvey today was his poise and command.

“I thought he had a tremendous day, especially with this curveball,’’ said d’Arnaud, who will be developing a working relationship with the Mets’ other pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler, soon enough.

Wheeler strained a right oblique muscle, Feb. 27, and pitched for the first time since today in a minor league game.

Wheeler posted on his Twitter account: “ Felt good to get back in a game today. Tossed three innings and one hit. Felt great.’’

METS MUSINGS: Lucas Duda homered and Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless ninth inning after giving up six runs in his previous three games. … Ruben Tejada’s miserable spring continued with an 0-for-4. He’s now on a 2-for-33 slide. … Also struggling is Brandon Hicks, who struck out three times and has 18 strikeouts in 33 at-bats.

Over at NJ.com, the online home of the Star-Ledger, Jorge Castillo tells us that during  the offseason, Mets manager Terry Collins, personally called infielders Justin Turner, Josh Satin, Zach Lutz and Brandon Hicks to give them all the same piece of advice – be prepared to play some corner outfield.

As far as any experience either of the four have roaming the green pastures, it’s almost nil.

Once upon a time, months after he was drafted in 2006, Justin Turner played four games in left field and four in right field for the Billings Mustangs, a Reds affiliate in the rookie-ball level Pioneer League. Then there was the time Josh Satin played 10 games in left field in Venezuela two winters ago. Zach Lutz’s last days patrolling green pasture were as a Little Leaguer in Shillington, Pa. That’s all more than Brandon Hicks’ outfield experience. He has none.

Interestingly enough is the fact that Lucas Duda himself is still in the throws of learning the nuances of the outfield as he too made the transition from first base like some of the others. Jordany Valdespin got his first taste of the outfield last season and was urged to stick to it in winter ball where he posted some solid numbers that could give him a slight edge.

It was thought that Mike Baxter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Duda were going to be the locks to start the season, but that may not be the case anymore.

Marlon Byrd is making an impact, at least that’s what Collins’ said in a recent interview, and Matt den Dekker, who you can read more about here, has certainly thrust his cap into the ring after a few fantastic grabs since Grapefruit League action began.

It’s a very uncertain situation and there is no solution that really jumps out at you. But somehow, Collins will be charged with picking five out of this group and somehow trying to make it all work. That’s a very tall order.

Scott Hairston and Jason Bay are both gone. One will be missed, as Sandy Alderson has even admitted, the other one – not so much.

So what once was the worst outfield configuration in the major leagues last season will look a little different this year, but there’s no telling if things will get better or possibly even worse. The only thing that’s certain for now, is that there’s not one ideal choice to choose from in the entire group. A fact that Sandy himself acknowledged during our conference call last week. Somehow, the Mets will have to make the best of the situation, but strap yourselves in because things could get bumpy.

Sorry, Charlie… Doesn’t look like there’s any angels in this outfield.

Collin Cowgill is making gritty fashionable again for the Mets.

Lucas Duda did not start tonight’s 6-4 exhibition game loss against Washington, and won’t be in the lineup tomorrow. Look for him Wednesday or Thursday.

In his first two games, Duda went 0-for-7 with six strikeouts, and told reporters today, “we’re not going to hit the panic just yet.’’

The Mets will opt for extra work in the batting cage instead.Duda, who underwent wrist surgery in the offseason, began to swing the bat in late January rather than December, and has been limited so far this spring, and manager Terry Collins attributes that to his early problems.

This is a good tact to take with Duda, who is being heavily counted on this year to fill voids in left field and power production.

Collins said this is not a demotion and doesn’t want to embarrass Duda, and believes this is the best way to restore his confidence, which can’t be too high right about now.

As of now, Duda is penciled in as the left fielder, but center appears to be a platoon between Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Collin Cowgill. The platoon will include the leadoff spot.

Nieuwenhuis will get the first chance to win the job, but the Mets are concerned about his high strikeouts ratio. He struck out 98 times with 25 walks in 282 at-bats. He did hit seven homers, but who knows what his power potential can be? For the amount of times he strikes out, he would need to hit a lot more homers.

Cowgill started tonight in center and at leadoff. It has only been a couple of games, but Cowgill has made a good first impression with his hustle.

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Nationals got to Collin McHugh for three runs in 2.1 innings to beat the Mets tonight in Port St. Lucie. Bright spots were Ike Davis’ homer and a homer robbing catch by Matt den Dekker. David Wright got his first hit of the spring with an opposite field single in the sixth inning. Travis d’Arnaud went 1-for-2 with a single in the ninth.

SANTANA UPDATE: The Mets said today Johan Santana looks stronger after throwing off flat ground, which is only slightly more important than saying his uniform fits nicely.

Santana was pushed back because of a lack of arm strength and the Mets are saying his pitches in an exhibition game by March 10 or 11, he’ll need only four spring training starts to be ready by Opening Day.

I don’t know the reason for the rush on Santana. He’s clearly not physically ready and whether he’s on the roster Opening Day or April 15 or May 1 will make no difference. Let’s face it, Santana is fragile property and rushing him will backfire.

METS NOTEBOOK: Ruben Tejada was scratched from tonight’s game with a strained right quad. Tejada was replaced by Brandon Hicks and will not play Tuesday against Miami. … Frank Francisco threw on flat ground today, but there’s no timetable for when he’ll get in a game. In the interim, the Mets will use Bobby Parnell as the closer. Considering Parnell represents the future and Francisco does not, they should use the latter in a set-up or situational role.

Nieuwenhuis will be the leadoff hitter for Saturday’s exhibition game against Washington.

The Mets like Nieuwenhuis’ patience – he sees over four pitches an at-bat – and he had moderate success in the role last year hitting .264 with an on-base percentage of .303.

Both numbers need to be improved, but it must be remembered he did this in his first look at major league pitching.

Before their slide Nieuwenhuis played center and hit leadoff and Terry Collins remembered: “ … when we were playing really, really well, that guy was in center field. So he deserves the right to get the first shot.’’

Nieuwenhuis can steal the occasional base, but he’s not known as a steal threat. Steals can sometimes be overrated, but fundamental base running is always in vogue. Going first-to-third, realizing when a ball will go through, and running to avoid a double play are all critical components of good base running.

If Nieuwenhuis can hit over .275 with an on-base percentage of .350 in a fulltime leadoff role in his first full season, the Mets would take that in a heartbeat.

One thing that must change is his 25-98 strikeouts to walks ratio in only 282 at-bats and 91 games played. One of the most absurd statements I’ve heard is that strikeouts don’t matter, but they do. If Nieuwenhuis cut his strikeouts down to 50 in a similar amount of games played, that’s 48 at-bats in which he could have gotten a hit or walk, or advanced a runner with a productive out.

That is part of the fundamental culture Collins is trying to install, and essential if the Mets are to reach the next level.

METS NOTEBOOK: 

The MLB Players Association was in camp today. Union chief Michael Weiner said he believed the Mets would have prevailed in their protest of losing their 11th pick as compensation had they signed Michael Bourn. Water under the bridge now. Neither the Mets nor Bourn could have waited for a hearing. There needs to be a better system where a hearing can be heard immediately. Weiner also told ESPN the Mets need to increase their spending if they are to be competitive in New York. We’ve heard that before.

Brandon Hicks, who played for Oakland and Atlanta, is trying to hook on as a utility outfielder. The Mets like Hicks because of his versatility, having also played at second and the corner infield positions.

Jenrry Mejia’s visa problems have been resolved and he is expected in camp Friday or Saturday.

Daniel Murphy is back in camp after taking a cortisone injection in his right side. He’s expected to be out at least another week.