On Sunday, manager Terry Collins raised the possibility that the Mets could begin skipping starts for their three young starters who are quickly gaining on their pre-planned innings limits.
While the team is not looking forward to that prospect, concern is rising and the timing of it all presents a significant conundrum as the Mets fight for the postseason.
While Collins admitted he’s trying not to think about it right now, the five-man rotation is taking a toll on Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. Currently the three of them are at:
Matt Harvey – 133.0
Jacob deGrom – 133.1
Noah Syndergaard: 124.1 (MLB/AAA)
“With them on this five-day plan, they’re going to get to those limits, and if they’re tired, they’re not going to pitch anymore,” Collins said. “So we’ll worry about that down the road. Right now we can’t worry about it.” (New York Post)
Collins refused to tell reporters what each pitcher’s individual max-limit is, he hinted it would be a fluid situation.
“When that point comes, then we can make decisions. But I’m not going to sit here and look into a crystal ball and be able to tell you, ‘This guy is not going to be able to pitch in the playoffs,’ ” Collins said.
“One of the things I got crucified for was the six-man rotation, which was going to keep these guys rested,” Collins said.
“There is [a number]. I don’t think there is any set three numbers you can write down and say, ‘They can’t go past these.’ I think there is a general area where, ‘Hey look we’ve got to watch it.’ This is going to be the maximum area that they’re going to get to,” Collins said.
Collins also speculated that Steven Katz could be ready to rejoin the team in early September. If that does happen, it should help alleviate some of the pressure for the Mets.
Additionally, the Mets manager said that Logan Verrett and Dillon Gee could be tapped for some spots starts in the coming days and weeks.
“Believe me, we have it all mapped out. We have it on paper. It’s in a locked box in my office. I’m the only one that has the code to it so you can’t get to it,” Collins joked.
One thing that wasn’t mentioned, is how important it is for Bartolo Colon to step up and be more consistent and reliable in that rotation. If he can find a way to be consistently good, it would do a lot toward easing the pressure when we skip a start for one of our big three pitchers. A solid performance by Jon Niese down the stretch would also go along way.
