The health of New York Met closers resurfaced as a major opening day story again this year. After Bobby Parnell was lost to Tommy John surgery following his Opening Day appearance a year past, it was Jenrry Mejia who headed to the disabled list with elbow inflammation this week.
Mejia’s injury is disconcerting to Met fans, but somehow, the news brought a different level of stress this year, anxiety yes but less angst than a year ago. With Josh Edgin lost for the season, Parnell still on the shelf, and now worries about Mejia, you could understand if Met fans were ready to take a leap off the R.F. Kennedy Bridge. Yet, that’s not the feeling I get from the reaction to this year’s potential Met mess.
Sometimes opportunity comes from adversity. I’m hoping that’s the case this season. If it does, credit the rich vein of pitching in the Met farm system. Some clamored when Sandy Alderson was slow to pull the trigger on a trade that would move some of those pitching chips for position players, like a shortstop to replace Wilmer Flores. But, Alderson stood firm, banking on the pay value of his cache of young pitchers.
First up to help fill the bullpen void – Rafael Montero. My confidence soars when I think of what Montero might bring to the Met pen. From the first time I watched him pitch in Binghamton, I had him pegged as a future Met bullpen star. Montero’s build, his fast workman like pace on the mound, a four pitch repertoire and exceptional pitch command made Montero seem like a natural out of the pen.
Before Mejia was injured I cringed to read Terry Collin’s comments about his plans to use his new arm out of the bullpen. It was an almost a word-for-word description of how Collins planned to use Jeurys Familia one year ago.
“Right now I think we need to get his feet wet. So, I think we’ll put him in somewhat of that longer role where if you needed two innings, he certainly has the capability of doing it.” That kind thinking brought us Valverde and Farnsworth and a lost baseball campaign as the Mets went with less talented veterans while holding back their future bullpen stalwarts.
But, adversity is the mother of necessity and necessity the mother of invention. With Edgin and Mejia down, Collins can no longer treat Montero like fragile glass. To get out of the gates on a gallop, Collins will need to bank on what his talented young pitcher can bring and last night Montero made his debut and delivered.
The young righthander tossed two scoreless frames of relief including a classic matchup against Ryan Zimmerman who had given the Nationals their slim lead with a no-doubt-about-it home run off of Jacob deGrom.
After the Mets intentionally walked Bryce Harper, who was having a great night at the plate, to put runners on first and second, it setup a showdown between Montero and Zimmerman. All it took was just three pitches to strike out Zimmerman and end the threat and the inning.
It was a smashing season debut for Montero against the reigning NL East champs and against their top slugger.
