Big news from late night/early morning: Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the San Francisco Giants signed third baseman Matt Chapman to a six-year, $151 million extension. Chapman will be under contract with the Giants through the 2030 season.

Chapman was likely to opt-out of his contract this offseason to become a free agent, but now leaves the expected third basemen market this offseason to Alex Bregman and not much else.

The Mets came into Wednesday night’s matchup looking for a clean three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, and they came up big. Jesse Winker started the game with a boom as he hit a first-inning grand slam to put the Mets up 4-0 early. Tylor Megill went four-plus innings while giving up three runs in his start, but the Mets’ bullpen was stupendous, going five innings of shutout ball. The Mets pulled away late as the Red Sox bullpen lost all control, conceding four runs in the eighth inning, ultimately resulting in an 8-3 Mets win. Click here for a full game recap.

The Mets have now won their seventh game in a row, the longest active streak in MLB, and will have Thursday off as they prepare to host the Reds over the weekend. Sean Manaea is slated to open the series on Friday against the 67-73 Cincinnati Reds.

Wild Card Update

The Mets did not gain any ground on the third and final Wild Card spot on Wednesday as the Braves handled business against the Rockies. They remain a half game back.

The Padres and Diamondbacks both won as well. The Mets are 3.5 and 3.0 games behind them, respectively.

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga, who has been on the IL with a left calf strain, threw 25 pitches off a mound with “noticeably increased intensity,” per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. DiComo added that Senga mentioned that he was transitioning his focus from leg rehab to getting his arm back in game shape.

Staying on Kodai Senga, Andy Martino of SNY.com reported that the Mets organization is increasingly optimistic that Senga will be able to return as a starting pitcher in 2024.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that the Mets expect to get starting pitcher Paul Blackburn back from the IL during their Blue Jays series early next week.

1969 World Series champion Cleon Jones joined the “Erik Sherman Show” podcast to detail the 1960s Mets’ rise from losers to champions.

Mets outfield prospect Drew Gilbert blasted his sixth home run in his last 13 games for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday night.

Mets assistant GM Ian Levin will be leaving the organization at the end of the season after 20 years with the club, per Andy Martino of SNY. 

The Mets continue to honor former chief photographer Marc Levine, who suddenly passed away on July 4. On Wednesday, Jay Horowitz announced that the club dedicated the first base well to Levine.

Noah Syndergaard joined the “Terry Collins Show” podcast to catch up with his old manager and talk about their memorable times in Queens.

Latest MLB News

MLB released the schedule and club assignments for the 2025 Arizona Fall League, by Brendan Samson of MLB.com. Mets prospects will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions, with the season starting on Oct. 7.

The Chicago Cubs placed former All-Star pitcher Justin Steele on the 15-day IL with left elbow tendinitis, retroactive to September 1. The Cubs’ ace southpaw said he vows to return before the end of the season.

The Cubs also placed former Mets RHP Jorge López on the 15-day IL with a right groin strain, retroactive to September 3. 

Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his return off the IL on Tuesday, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Yamamoto has been on the injured list since June 16 with a right triceps injury.

Cubs pitchers Shōta Imanaga, Nate Pearson, and Porter Hodge combined to throw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Imanaga started the game with seven no-hit innings before handing the ball to Pearson and Hodge after throwing 95 pitches.

The Texas Rangers placed star shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day IL with right hip discomfort.

Elvis Andrus will officialy retire as a Texas Ranger on Friday, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Andrus spent 12 of his 15 big league seasons with the Rangers, and will be honored on Friday as he will be throwing out the first pitch as the Angels and Elvis’ first big league manager Ron Washington will return to Texas.

Latest on MMO

Francisco Lindor continues his roaring MVP level pace.

The Mets’ bullpen has been lights out during their winning streak.

A Kodai Senga return continues to look more likely.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: Bartolo Colón makes a jaw-dropping behind-the-back toss to throw out Justin Bour at first base. In this start, the 42-year-old Colón became the oldest Met to pitch a shutout and extended his scoreless inning streak to 25.

1969: Tom Seaver throws a complete game en route to becoming the first Met to win 20 games in a season.

1963: The Mets sign outfielder Ron Swoboda for $35,000. Swoboda would end up being a key piece to the Mets 1969 World Series team; hitting .400 in the World Series while making a miraculous grab in game 4 and driving in the game-winning run in game 5. 

Born on This Date: Pablo Reyes (1993), Chris Young (1983), Matt Watson (1978), Rod Barajas (1975)

The post Morning Briefing: Matt Chapman Signs Six-Year Extension With Giants appeared first on Metsmerized.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Former Met and former Giant Darin Ruf is a free agent, the Giants announced Saturday. He cleared waivers and elected free agency after recently being DFA’d.

The Mets, meanwhile, only got to the third inning of Saturday’s game before it entered a long delay and was eventually suspended. They’ll continue the game today at 12:35 p.m. ET, and then play a second game at 4:35 p.m. ET with Max Scherzer on the mound.

Latest MLB News

The Cincinnati Reds on Saturday revealed their “CINCY” Nike Connect uniforms.

Latest on MMO

David Crocco recaps the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, including Stanley Consuegra’s fifth home run.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki recaps Tylor Megill’s five-inning performance from Friday against the Nationals.

On This Date in Mets History

1972: Willie Mays, in his Mets debut, hit a game-winning home run in the Mets’ defeat of the San Francisco Giants.

Birthdays: Brian Lawrence (47), Takashi Kashiwada (52), Dick Tidrow (76)

The post Morning Briefing: Darin Ruf Back on the Free Agent Market appeared first on Metsmerized.

David Peterson. Photo by Ed Delany of MetsmerizedOnline

The New York Mets (14-8) and San Francisco Giants (7-13) continued their four-game series at Oracle Park Saturday on a beautiful, cool day in San Francisco. The Mets had a 2-0 series lead going into Saturday afternoon’s game and were looking to take the series win on Saturday.

David Peterson took the mound for the visiting Mets against right-handed pitcher Logan Webb of the Giants. Unfortunately, for New York, Peterson continued to struggle as he gave up seven earned runs across five innings. The Giants scored four quick runs in the first inning and did not look back, ultimately cruising to a 7-4 win.

The only big hit the Mets had on Saturday came in the third inning as Brandon Nimmo hit his second home run of the year. Brett Baty, Starling Marte, and Daniel Vogelbach each drove in runs as well.

A huge positive for the Mets was relief pitcher Edwin Uceta. Uceta threw three scoreless innings of relief on Saturday. Most importantly, he helped preserve the bullpen for Sunday’s rubber game.

As for the game, the Giants teed off on Peterson in the bottom of the first to take a big early lead. Thairo Estrada opened the bottom half of the inning with a single to second. Two batters later, former Met Michael Conforto singled to center field to move Estrada over to third and into scoring position. Wilmer Flores then walked to load the bases.

After a sacrifice fly, the very next batter, Brandon Crawford, hit a hard three-run home. It ballooned the Giants’ lead to 4-0 headed to the second inning.

The Mets got one run back in the top of the second. With two outs, Vogelbach hit a deep double to right-centerfield that got past Conforto scoring a run. New York cut the Giants’ lead to 4-1.

The Giants answered back immediately in the bottom of the inning. Heliot Ramos doubled to lead-off the inning, then Ruf singled to right field and to score Ramos. Then, Conforto hit into a fielder’s choice, but Alonso’s throw home was late making it a 6-1 game before the inning concluded.

The Mets once again got a run back in the third. This time it was off the bat of Nimmo. He sent a ball over the wall in the deepest part of the ballpark to make it a 6-2 in the third inning.

In the fifth inning, former fan-favorite Flores hit his third home run of the year to extend the Giants’ lead to 7-2. Peterson’s day was subsequently done after five rough innings. His final line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO. Peterson’s season ERA now sits at a staggering 7.36.

Uceta replaced Peterson and excelled quickly. He ended up finishing out the game, tossing three innings and striking out three while holding the Giants hitless. A nice change of pass from Peterson’s woeful performance prior to Uceta’s entrance.

Brett Baty. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Mets tried to once again get some offensive momentum in the eight. Baty and Nimo hit back-to-back singles to lead off the eighth. With one out, Marte singled to score Baty and the Mets made it a 7-3 game in the eighth inning. Though, that was all the damage they would create in the inning.

New York made a little more noise in the ninth inning against Giants’ closer Camilo Doval. Canha tallied a one-out single for his second hit of the day. Baty – who finished 2-for-4 – then singled on line drive to left field to score Canha (he advanced to second base on defensive indifference) to make it a 7-4 game. However, Luis Guillorme grounded out to end the game as the Giants were able to preserve a 7-4 win over New York.

Player of the Game: Edwin Uceta

The 25-year old right-handed pitcher, Edwin Uceta, made his New York Mets’ debut and pitching very well. Uceta threw three scoreless innings and did not give up a hit. He walked two and struck out three across 51 pitches. Most importantly, as mentioned above, he preserved the Mets’ bullpen for the rubber game of the series Sunday.

On Deck:

On Sunday, the Mets and Giants will finish the four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 pm ET and is nationally televised on ESPN. The probable pitcher matchup is Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.00 ERA) against right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling (0-1, 7.30 ERA).

The post David Peterson Struggles As Mets Lose 7-4 To Giants appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Entering the 2023 season, the Mets were projected to have Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, José Quintana, and Carlos Carrasco in their rotation. On Friday night, four of those five pitchers were out of the lineup, and Joey Lucchesi, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since June of 2021, gave the Mets some much-needed length as the Mets beat the Giants, 7-0.

Lucchesi was simply electric on the mound on Friday, giving the Mets both quality and quantity in equal measure. What made the outing all the more special was the fact that it was Lucchesi’s first start in the big leagues since June 18 2021 after a long road back from Tommy John surgery. And, to cap it all off, Lucchesi grew up 30 minutes from Oracle Park. So, to have pitched a gem in-front of his family in his own backyard was meaningful in more ways than one for the lefty.

“I mean, two years since surgery, a lot of momentum building up,” Lucchesi said after the game. “It was my first outing, back at home too, all my friends and family here. I was a little nervous in the beginning and this outing just feels so good to get under my belt. I’m super grateful to be up here with the team and to be able to pitch like I did for the team. My family was here, my parents were here, and to have them see me pitch like that, man, I’m just super grateful. Just super happy.”

Joey Lucchesi with his family after his tremendous performance tonight.

(Pic via @MichelleLucche2) pic.twitter.com/sAZeMob8TO

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 22, 2023

Lucchesi got into trouble in the first inning, allowing a double to Wilmer Flores before walking Darin Ruf. However, he got J.D. Davis to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame. Lucchesi walked David Villar to lead off the second inning but escaped trouble again, getting Heliot Ramos on his signature “churve” to end the inning.

“You think about all the things he’s gone through to this point, it’s got to be a special night for him and his family,” manager Buck Showalter said in a postgame interview. “You try and take in what that meant to him.”

Lucchesi allowed another base runner to start off the third inning, but he again sidestepped trouble thanks to a double play, this time from another former Met in Flores. Lucchesi finally got his first clean inning of the night in the fourth, striking out Davis and Villar in the process. The southpaw allowed a single to Joey Bart in the fifth but struck out Brett Wisely, Ramos, and Mike Yastrzemski – getting Wisely and Yastrzemski on the churve and Ramos on a cutter.

“You saw his confidence grow as the game kept going,” Showalter said.”A lot of it is the deception in his delivery, he throws it all out of the same window.”

The Giants got another lead-off base runner in the sixth inning on a single from Thairo Estrada – but Lucchesi induced another double play from Flores to ease through the sixth inning – the fourth of the night for the Mets. Lucchesi concluded his night by striking out the side in order in the seventh – getting Davis, Villar, and Yastrzemski all on fastballs. By getting through the seventh inning, Lucchesi became the first Mets pitcher to get through more than six innings this season. He allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out nine – the most punchouts he’s recorded since 2019. Lucchesi earned his first win of the season, and his second as a Met, with the other coming on May 8, 2021 against Arizona.

Just sensational stuff from Joey Lucchesi tonight.

He was dotting the strike zone all night. Nine strikeouts in seven innings, including striking out the side in the seventh.

4-0 #Mets, top 8. pic.twitter.com/7lQi3e1JE3

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 22, 2023

“Since the moment he showed up to the yard, he was locked in,” Pete Alonso told Steve Gelbs after the game. “Joey was lights out. His execution and his location was fabulous. This is so special for Joey – It’s really cool to be a part of it. I’m happy he got the win and the way he was able to pitch the way he did.”

Lucchesi’s fastball averaged just 89.9 miles per hour, but he registered six whiffs and 19 called strikes, giving him a called strikes plus whiff rate of 42 percent. While Lucchesi didn’t rely on his churve very heavily, he racked four whiffs on 12 swings on the pitch. His churve also averaged 2,197 revolutions per minute, which is up from the 2,081 it averaged in 2021. Lucchesi didn’t get any whiffs on his cutter, but he didn’t allow an exit velocity over 80.5 MPH on the pitch.

Dating back to June 13, 2021, Lucchesi has tossed 17 straight scoreless innings. It’s unknown how many more starts the 29-year-old will get at the major league level, but this outing won’t go unnoticed, especially given how much the Mets have struggled to get length out of their starting rotation so far this year. As it lines up right now, Lucchesi is slated to make his next start against the Braves on Saturday. But, whatever happens in the future, the 29-year-old will always have Friday night.

“I’m just super grateful to be up here,” Lucchesi said after the game. “I think it is my best outing.”

The post Joey Lucchesi Carves Up Giants in Triumphant Return appeared first on Metsmerized.

Tim Locastro, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets announced on Monday that they have designated Darin Ruf for assignment, ending a tough tenure in orange and blue for the 36-year-old. In 74 plate appearances after coming over from the Giants last summer, Ruf recorded just three extra-base hits and hit an anemic .152/.216/.197. This spring, he was just 5-for-30 while dealing with a wrist injury.

“It was a trade that didn’t work out. Plain and simple,” general manager Billy Eppler said.

Tim Locastro will be the final man on the Mets’ bench. Locastro said he’d been informed of the decision on Sunday night but was told to keep it a secret from everyone else.

Latest Mets News

In other roster-related news, David Peterson has officially won the final spot in the Mets’ rotation. While Peterson issued eight walks, he didn’t allow a run in 12 innings this spring and struck out 13 batters. Meanwhile, Tylor Megill will head to Triple-A Syracuse, where he is expected to start on Opening Day.

Latest MLB News

The Braves revealed their City Connect uniforms, in which they pay homage to Hank Aaron. The jerseys will be debuted on April 8, which is the anniversary of Aaron’s 715th career home run.

Matt Eddy of Baseball America looks at what teams could earn extra draft picks for capitalizing on their prospect promotion incentives.

The Brewers have signed Luke Voit to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season. In addition, they have designated former first-round pick Keston Hiura for assignment and optioned Abraham Toro to Triple-A.

Mike Trout announced he is building a golf club designed by Tiger Woods in Vineland, NJ. Construction will begin this year and the private club is anticipated to open in 2025.

The Orioles will not be bringing top prospect Grayson Rodriguez on their MLB roster to begin the season. The right-hander struggled in his final three starts of spring training, which Mike Elias cited as the reason for not bringing the young righty north to start the season.

The Rays announced they will wear their Devil Rays throwback jerseys during every Friday home game this season. The team went by the Devil Rays from 1998-2007.

Brandon Crawford has been named the winner of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. This honor is given to the player who best shows the giving character of the Hall of Famer.

The Cubs have traded utility man Zach McKinstry to the Tigers for right-hander Carlos Guzman. The 24-year-old Guzman spent most of last season in High-A.

The Cubs have given infielder Nico Hoerner a three-year extension worth $35 million. The deal buys out one year of free agency, meaning he will be 29 when he hits the market.

Sergio Romo made one last appearance for the Giants on Monday night to officially retire as a Giant. A 28th-round pick out of Colorado Mesa College, Romo made an All-Star team and was a three-time World Series champion in San Francisco, racking up 84 saves in nine seasons. He also racked up three saves in the 2012 World Series, including striking out Miguel Cabrera to end the series.

Latest on MMO

Mathew Brownstein interviews Mets minor leaguer Bubby Rossman.

Christian De Block previews what to expect from the Braves this season.

On This Date in Mets History

1985: Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton publishes a story about Mets rookie pitcher Sidd Finch. The phenom reportedly wears one hiker’s boot while pitching, plays the french horn, and throws 168 miles per hour.

2019: Robinson Canó homers in his first at-bat as a Met, and Jacob deGrom outduels Max Scherzer as the Mets win on Opening Day, 2-0. Rookie first baseman Pete Alonso collects his first major league hit and Edwin Díaz locks down his first save as a Met.

The post Morning Briefing: Tim Locastro Gets Final Roster Spot appeared first on Metsmerized.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets made their latest rounds of cuts on Sunday, optioning infielder Danny Mendick and right-hander Jeff Brigham to Triple-A Syracuse. In addition, left-hander T.J. McFarland and righty Jimmy Yacabonis were re-assigned to minor-league camp.

With Mendick being sent down, the Mets have Tim Locastro and Darin Ruf battling for the final spot on the team’s bench. Locastro has an opt-out clause in his contract, which he could exercise should he not make the team. He’s been strong this spring, boasting a .927 OPS in 55 plate appearances. Ruf has battled a wrist injury this spring, though he’s shown some signs of life with his bat in recent games.

Latest Mets News

Justin Verlander walked four and gave up eight hits and three runs in five innings in his final start of spring training, as the Mets and Marlins tied 3-3 in their Grapefruit League finale. Starling Marte continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.

The Mets will host an intrasquad game for their final game at Clover Park this afternoon at 4:10. General admission tickets will be sold for $10 with free parking and concessions available. Gates will open at 3:00 pm.

The Italian-American Baseball Foundation is honoring Mike Piazza and Lou Tallarini at the Joe DiMaggio Award dinner on April 4. Attendees can bid on 25 rare and custom bronze-plated baseball cards, with proceeds going toward the IABF

Latest MLB News

Braves right-hander Kyle Wright will begin the season on the injured list to allow him more time to build up for the season. His stint will be backdated to March 27, and he should be ready to make his season debut during the second week of April. Prospects Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd will both make starts during the season’s opening week.

After his strong showing in the World Baseball Classic, Australian pitcher Mitch Neunborn has signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies. Neunborn is coming off a great season for the Adelaide Giants.

Latest on MMO

James Villani states the case for David Peterson being the fifth starter in the Mets’ rotation.

James Villani recaps the Mets’ Grapefruit League finale.

On This Date in Mets History

1987: The Mets send catcher Ed Hearn along with right-handers Mauro Gozzo and Rick Anderson to the Royals for left fielder Chris Jelic and young righty David Cone. The 24-year-old Cone made 11 appearances for Kansas City in 1986. Hearn and Anderson both were solid contributors for the Mets in 1986, with Hearn serving as Gary Carter‘s backup.

1994: The Mets trade shortstop Kevin Baez and minor leaguer Tom Wegmann to the Orioles for first baseman David Segui. The 27-year-old Segui had a solid .751 OPS in 519 plate appearances in 1993.

Birthdays: Michael Cuddyer (44), Johnny Monell (37), Brandon Nimmo (30)

The post Morning Briefing: Final Bench Spot Down to Ruf and Locastro appeared first on Metsmerized.

Justin Verlander. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Sunday, March 26, 2023 • 4:10 PM
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, Florida
LHP Braxton Garrett (0-1, 8.25) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (2-1, 2.25)
WPIX

We finally made it! The last day of spring training.

The Mets and Marlins play each other in a late afternoon spring game before taking a few days off and starting the season against each other in Miami. If you include today’s game, the Mets and Marlins play each other eight times in their next 11 games. The two teams are going to get very familiar with each other over the next couple of weeks.

Big news broke during the Mets game last night that Brett Baty and Mark Vientos would be starting the season in the minors. That means the Mets are rolling with Eduardo Escobar as their starting third basemen at least in the short term for 2023. What general manager Billy Eppler wouldn’t commit to yet is if Darin Ruf has made the major league roster. That being said, the Mets still have a few days to make decisions before the games start for real on Thursday.

Mets Lineup

Last lineup of the spring. #LGM pic.twitter.com/2LNRaOC4x7

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 26, 2023

Marlins Lineup: pending

Game Notes

Yesterday, the Mets have signed starting pitcher Dylan Bundy to a minor league contract. Bundy has appeared in 190 career games (162 starts) and owns a 4.74 ERA. He spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins, posting a 4.89 ERA (76 earned runs/140 innings) with 28 walks and 94 strikeouts.

In 15 games this spring, infielder Luis Guillorme has a .324 (12-37) average and an .864 OPS. Guillorme has hit safely in four of his last five games, including three consecutive multi-hit efforts.

Three Things To Watch For

1. See You Again Soon! Justin Verlander makes his final start of spring training today and is scheduled to face the Marlins next Saturday for the third game of the season. I am curious if he hides anything from the Marlins, works on specific pitches only, or splits his time between this game and a minor league game or a bullpen session. Unless it looks like he’s really going full steam today, I’m not going to read too much into his performance
2. Normal Lineup? The Mets have Darin Ruf in the game today as the DH, which is where he would be on days the Mets face off against a lefty starting pitcher. Besides that this lineup looks like the lineup the Mets will roll with at the start of the season. The only question marks in are Ruf and Escobar. According to Showalter, despite Ruf’s poor spring training performance, he’s been destroying baseballs in the backfields. Escobar has been cold this spring, but was one of the best hitters on the team the last month or so of the regular season.
3. Final Bullpen Spots Up For Grabs: Before the start of this game the Mets optioned Jeff Brigham to Syracuse and reassigned T.J. McFarland and Jimmy Yacabonis to minor league camp. This leaves Curtiss, Nogosek, Hernández and Santana battling for the last three spots.

The post MMO Game Thread: Marlins vs. Mets, 4:10 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

In what could be a pitching matchup we see at Citi Field or Truist Park in the future, both the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves threw one of their top pitching propects against each at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida. In the end, the two teams played to a 2-2 tie in a game that took two hours and seven minutes to complete.

Mike Vasil, the #11 prospect in the Mets system according to MLB Pipeline, threw the ball well against a Braves lineup that featured many of the regulars. He went three innings, allowed two runs on six hits, and struck out three in his spring debut.

Vasil showed some good stuff in the first couple of innings as he recorded strikeouts against Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Eddie Rosario. He even featured the split changeup in the strikeout he got against Olson in the bottom of the first:

Mike Vasil struck out one of the hottest hitters on the planet on 3 pitches.

The Mets right-hander finished the 2022 season in High-A Brooklyn.

Last pitch is a split-change he's been working on.

pic.twitter.com/Rvi2UAPbIK

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 23, 2023

Vasil’s lone mistake came in the bottom of the third. With the Mets already up 2-0, Orlando Arcia led off the inning with an infield single. Two batters later, Vasil left a pitch up to Olson that was crushed to deep right for a game-tying home run (Olson’s seventh of the spring). The 23-year-old settled in and after allowing a single to Marcell Ozuna, he got Michael Harris II to hit into an inning-ending double play.

As for the Mets lineup, Pete Alonso was back after playing for Team USA in the WBC and he was 0-for-4 with a strikeout. They were going up against the top prospect in the Braves system in left-hander Jared Shuster. Shuster kept the Mets mostly in check except in the top of the third.

Danny Mendick began the inning with a walk and Tomas Nido hit his third double of the spring to right. Both runners would come around to score on sacrifice flies by Eduardo Escobar and Starling Marte. Outside of that inning, Shuster was solid as he went six innings, allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out two.

Out of the three hits that the Mets had, two of them were doubles (Nido and Darin Ruf). The team as a whole only struck out six times, but there were a lot of quick at-bats in this game from both teams.

After Vasil’s day was done, Elieser Hernandez came in and threw a 1-2-3 fourth inning. Nathan Lavender ran into trouble in the fifth with two walks and a disengagement violation. However, he was able to escape unscathed and he has yet to allow a run this spring.

Denyi Reyes came in to pitch the sixth and seventh inning and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings. Grant Hartwig pitched the eighth and struck out a batter in a 1-2-3 inning.

Justin Courtney ended up getting the ball in the ninth to help preserve the tie and he delivered as the 26-year-old right-hander threw a 1-2-3 inning.

On the back fields, Brandon Nimmo had a two-run triple in five plate appearances and Jeff McNeil took nine plate appearances in his return from the WBC.

Elieser Hernandez, Photo by Ed Delany Metsmerized

Player(s) Of The Game

The Mets bullpen gets the nod in this one for keeping the team in the game after Vasil’s outing was over. Hernandez had his shortest outing of the spring, but it was the first one in which he did not allow a run. As for Lavender, it was his first outing this spring in which he did not record a strikeout, but the Austin Riley lineout into a double play was able to bail him out.

Reyes appeared in his first game in almost three weeks and it was his second outing against the Braves. Even though he didn’t record a strikeout for the first time this spring, he got some key groundball outs after an Ozuna double that led off the sixth.

Hartwig had a quick eighth inning, but he did get Geraldo Quintero to strike out looking and the other outs came via a ground. Courtney made his fifth appearance of the spring and ended up getting a strikeout of his own in the ninth.

On Deck

The Mets will be at Tropicana Field on Friday when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays (14-11). You can catch the game at 1:05 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Sun (MLB TV) or listen to it on MLB.com. Max Scherzer will make his final start of the spring for the Mets against Luis Patiño (1-1, 6.43) for the Rays.

The post Mike Vasil, Bullpen Keep Braves Regulars Quiet In 2-2 Tie appeared first on Metsmerized.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2023 Opening Day approaches, Mets’ 1B/DH Darin Ruf is not making a case for his placement on the initial roster. In fact, he is doing quite the opposite as he has a mere three hits in 23 at-bats. Consequently, his batting line of .130/.200/.174 is not an encouraging sign as he is continuing to hit poorly, which has been the common theme of his short Mets career.

Ruf, 36, was acquired by the Mets during the trade deadline period of the 2022 season, and they were hoping to solidify the DH position with a proven commodity on the offensive front. However, Ruf did not meet these lofty expectations as he batted .152/.216/.197 in 28 games for the club. While this lack of offensive production could be attributed to a small sample size, Ruf’s continued underperformance during spring training tells a different story.

One possible explanation for Ruf’s struggles could be the wrist soreness that kept him sidelined for the beginning part of spring training. In an article from Johnluke Chaparro of MetsMerized Online, Ruf responded with the following when asked about his ailment: “It’s just something over the last few years that’s bothered me.” Although Ruf claims that this injury has been present for several years, it is not outlandish to say that it could be impacting him on a greater scale as he grows older. It is also significant that he received an injection in his wrist as it had to be severe enough to warrant that form of treatment.

Regardless of the cause of Ruf’s hitting woes, the Mets have high ambitions to win a World Series this season. As a result, they will likely be unforgiving when it comes to deciding who will occupy the 26-man roster spots. As of now, Ruf is in competition with Eduardo Escobar, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos for the remaining position player roster spots.

Although Escobar is batting .136/.240/.182 in his short spring training sample, he is the most likely to crack the Opening Day roster out of the group as he is in the final year of his two-year, $20 million agreement with the club. Conversely, Baty and Vientos are making it difficult for the Mets to leave camp without them. Most notably, Baty is batting .333/.469/.436 in 21 spring training games. Vientos is batting .283/.316/.491 in the same amount of games, which is also impressive.

While defense has been a topic of concern for Baty and Vientos, Ruf’s lack of defensive prowess does not separate him from the competition. In fact, according to FanGraphs, Ruf posted an unsatisfactory -5 DRS at 1B, which is where the Mets have mainly placed him during spring training. If Ruf continues to hit poorly, the Mets should call into question what he can actually bring to the club if he is not a proficient fielder to go along with it.

Overall, Ruf’s situation with the Mets has been far from ideal. He is an impending free agent with a club option as is entering the final year of his two-year, $6.25M contract. As a result, he has every reason to try and produce better results this season in order to elongate his MLB career. It will be interesting to see how much patience the Mets exercise with Ruf in the coming weeks if these hitting struggles continue.

The post Darin Ruf’s Hitting Troubles Continue as Opening Day Approaches appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany Metsmerized

In their second game of the day after besting the Astros 7-2 Friday afternoon, the Mets returned to the field, where they fell to the Cardinals by a score of 7-5.

Elieser Hernández got the start for the Mets, where he struggled, giving up four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings to go along with one walk and no strikeouts. Hernández gave up a leadoff homer to Brendan Donovan, to start off his evening. After getting the next two men out, Hernández allowed a walk, with another run coming home on a double from Juan Yepez.

The Mets battled back with a couple runs of their own to tie the game in the top of the third. Tim Locastro continued his excellent spring by knocking in José Peraza on an RBI single, and Francisco Álvarez added an RBI hit of his own to even things up, going the other way through an open hole on the infield off Jordan Montgomery.

Francisco Álvarez with an RBI single the other way

(via @BallySportsMW) pic.twitter.com/jVyltGmntF

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 10, 2023

However, Yepez would strike once again in the bottom half of the frame. Hernández was able to get the first two outs of the inning, but exited the frame with two men on. His replacement, Daison Acosta, served up a three-run shot to Yepez that put the Cards up 5-2. Two of the three runs were charged to Hernández, who is competing for positioning as rotation depth or a long-man spot in the Mets bullpen with the likes of Joey Lucchesi and José Butto.

Connor Grey was the next pitcher up for the Mets, and he was also victimized by the long ball, giving up a homer to Masyn Wynn in the 5th that extended the Cardinals lead to 7-2. The Mets’ pitchers would not allow another run in the contest, thanks to scoreless outings from the likes of William Woods (two innings) and Eric Orze (one inning) as their offense tried to claw back in the game.

New York got one back in the sixth on a Lorenzo Cedrola double, and tacked on another in the seventh on a Kevin Parada sacrifice fly. In the eighth, it was another of the Mets top prospects who made statement. In his first career Grapefruit League appearance, Jett Williams also notched his first RBI, smashing a double down the left field line to score Hayden Senger and make the score 7-5.

Jett Williams ropes an RBI double!

(via @BallySportsMW) pic.twitter.com/VZ0lzXDyY2

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 11, 2023

However, that’s as close as the Mets would get, as they fell to the Cards by the same score.

Player of the Game: Jett Williams

In his first spring training game, Williams flashed why he is one of the Mets’ top prospects in his only at-bat of the game. With several Mets off playing in the World Baseball Classic, Williams may get a few more opportunities to show what he’s capable of before beginning his season in the minors.

Darin Ruf Watch

Back in the lineup, the much-maligned Darin Ruf continued to struggle in a Mets uniform, going 0-3 with two strikeouts. He remains hitless this spring. After the game, he commented that his injured wrist was still giving him discomfort.

On Deck

The Mets will be back at it on Saturday as they take on the Nationals at 7:05 p.m.  Kodai Senga is expected to start for the Mets. Buck Showalter said after Friday’s game that Brandon Nimmo would be making his spring debut on Sunday when the Mets face off with the Rays at Clover Park.

The post Hernández Struggles, Williams Doubles As Mets Fall to Cards 7-5 appeared first on Metsmerized.