Jordan Yamamoto Roughed Up in First Start For Mets

The Mets needed a knight in shining armor to get them through the end of their road trip. Instead, they got Jordan Yamamoto. And he wasn’t exactly heroic.

The 25-year-old right-hander spent most of his time down in Triple-A before Sunday, posting a 3.82 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP over 9.2 innings. These statistics were a positive sign for Yamamoto, who had an abysmal shortened season in 2020 throwing for the Miami Marlins, allowing 23 earned runs in just 11.1 innings.

Yamamoto was successful in his lone major league outing this season before Sunday, which came on May 5 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He came on in relief after Miguel Castro went one inning as the opener, allowing four hits and just one run over 2.2 innings.

Sunday was his first start as a Met, and it didn’t go as well as his relief appearance. He made it through the first inning unscathed, walking one batter and retiring the other three he faced.

The second inning was where the implosion began. Brian Anderson started off the frame with a single to right field, and Garrett Cooper joined him on base after working a walk. Yamamoto then lost control again, hitting Sandy Leon with a pitch to load the bases.

After a quick mound visit, the right-hander regained his composure, striking out his next man. The momentum did not last, however, as opposing pitcher Cody Poteet dribbled a single down the third base line that all runners advanced on, bringing home the first run of the game. Jazz Chisholm capitalized next, lining a single to center that moved everyone up another station.

While Yamamoto should have escaped the inning having allowed just two runs, his defense failed him. Miguel Rojas grounded a ball to second base that had double play written all over it, but the Mets could only get one before Francisco Lindor threw off target to first, scoring two runners.

Jesus Aguilar provided the final blow of the five-run second, singling to center field to drive home Rojas.

Despite allowing two more hits in the third inning, Yamamoto escaped without allowing any further damage, and he finished off his fourth frame by retiring the Marlins in order. He was relieved to start the fifth, having thrown 73 pitches.

After the game, it was announced Yamamoto had left with right shoulder soreness. He will be re-evaluated Monday in New York. However, Mets manager Luis Rojas said the right-hander was most likely going to leave the game after four innings anyways.

“The last inning he pitched, that was his last inning of work. We had it planned where [Gsellman] was going to come in in a double switch just to try and give us two or three and he gave us three,” Rojas said. “We felt that four innings and the pitch count he had was enough already.”

Yamamoto said in his postgame conference that he started feeling the shoulder soreness in the third or fourth inning. However, his primary thoughts after the game were on his overall performance.

“I’m trying to give my team the best chance, and I let them down today,” Yamamoto said.

Yamamoto did provide the team with some offense, singling on a line drive to left field in his only at-bat.

Despite the loss, there was some promise to Yamamoto’s start. With a little more luck on the defensive side of things, that 5-0 deficit could have been just two. If he can regain his control for his next appearance, he could provide a much needed support for the battered Mets.