In order to optimize their final push at a postseason spot, New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway alluded to the possibility of the Mets tinkering with their rotation down the home stretch ahead of Friday’s series opener in Cincinnati.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Callaway is “considering flipping [Steven Matz] and [Marcus Stroman] in the rotation”, setting up Stroman to start on Sunday at the Reds and allowing Matz to start at home versus the Marlins on Monday.
Matz, 28, owns a 1.94 ERA and a .225/.294/.352 slash line against over 15 starts (78.2 innings) at Citi Field this season and a 6.62 ERA with a .293/.348/.547 slash against through 15 starts (70.2 IP) on the road in 2019.
Stroman, also 28, turned in his best start as a member of the Mets on Wednesday in Colorado, pitching seven scoreless innings in a series-clinching win over the Rockies.
Over his first seven starts with New York, Stroman owned a 44.2% groundball rate — well below his 53.4 percent mark in 2019 and eons behind the 58.6 percent clip he’s induced grounders over his career.
Stroman’s put up a more-characteristic 51.5% groundball rate over his last two outings, which could play well at the not-so-spacious Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
Callaway also noted that the team would be inclined to pitch Jacob deGrom on short rest for the season finale on September 28 versus the Braves, adding that Noah Syndergaard, that day’s scheduled starter, “could even pitch in relief behind him”, as per Tim Healey of Newsday.
We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
