David Stearns, Carlos Mendoza Speak About A.J. Ewing, Injury Updates

Yesterday president of baseball operations David Stearns and Manager Carlos Mendoza spoke to the media before the beginning of the homestand about the state of the Mets.

Stearns message to the fanbase is that they understand that the first six weeks have not gone the way anyone has wanted, they are disappointed as well, and they believe they have the talent to turn this around and are doing everything they can every single day to get there.

On A.J. Ewing

A popular topic discussed was the call up of top prospect A.J. Ewing. Carlos Mendoza described Ewing as an energetic and passionate player with tools that impressed the veterans on the team. Stearns described Ewing as one of the fastest players in the game and that while he may not hit a lot of home runs, he can spray the ball to the gap. This was evident as he legged out a triple and stole a base in his first game.

David Stearns very clearly stated that while the situation of the club did impact the timing, Ewing would not have been called up if they did not feel he is ready. His performance, lack of holes in his game, and his maturity and ability to handle different situations earned him the promotion. Drawing three walks, including one with the bases loaded, showed that.

Despite his limited time in Triple-A Carlos Mendoza felt his strong defensive capabilities and all field approach should translate well to the majors. The plan at the moment per Mendoza is just to play the outfield so he can get settled playing the position he is the most comfortable at. Once settled they can discuss introducing time in the infield.

While Carlos Mendoza did not directly confirm Ewing will regularly face left-handed pitching, he said that Ewing is “here to play.” He also said that while Ewing will not be thrust immediately into the leadoff spot, he could force his way there in the future.

On Player Injuries and Performances

On Sean Manaea Stearns said that they have seen glimmers of a really good pitcher as well as outings that were uncompetitive. For now their plan is to keep him in the bullpen. He said Sean understands this and is working to get back to the pitcher he was. When discussing having three long relievers he said he feels it is functional at this moment.

Carlos Mendoza confirmed that Luis Robert Jr. is not close to returning and is still feeling pain in his lower back. He is not progressing the way the team would like to. Stearns confirmed that he is getting further evaluations from doctors and does not have a timeline.

Mendoza confirmed that Francisco Lindor is getting a follow up MRI on May 13, and Stearns confirmed they will have a timeline after that. Mendoza said that Lindor has been feeling better and is no longer in a boot.

Once Jorge Polanco is asymptomatic with his bursitis he will be able to return, but he is not there yet. They are following the protocols laid out by the physicians and at this point he does not need to be fully shut down.

A.J. Minter was rehabbing before he had some hip pain and said that he should be back to throwing in games after one more bullpen session. He needs to so back-to-backs and pitch on two out of three days before he will get called up. Two to three weeks is the potential timeline.

While Stearns recognized that injuries have impacted the team, a big part of the team’s struggles come from the fact that the healthy players are underperforming. He said that the coaches are working to target why and help those players make improvements. Stearns also stated that the Mets need to analyze both their risk assessment, and why players are getting hurt at a high rate when they come to the organization. He stopped short of doing a post mortem of the team and reiterated he still believes in the players on this team.

On the State of the Organization

Stearns said that while the Mets have not performed yet, he believes they can still go for a run. It is not early in the season – they are 25% of the way through – but there is enough time for them to turn things around. Mendoza said the team needs to start playing consistent, good baseball, have timely hitting, and be better across the board than they have been.

Stearns stated that they are always looking and seeing if there are ways to improve the team via trades. He said this time of year is not the easiest to make trades happen but they are always looking for opportunities to improve the team. He also confirmed that the Mets are not close to considering themselves as sellers.

On Carlos Mendoza

Stearns reiterated the organization’s support for Carlos Mendoza. When Sherman pushed further and tried to push Stearns to define “intent” and give an exact timeline of how long Mendoza has before they would fire him Stearns very directly said “I will let my words speak for themselves. I have been very clear and consistent that I think Mendy does a really good job.” He continued, “I am not going to address this every two weeks when I talk to you guys and I’ll leave it at that.”