Francisco Lindor stepped up to the plate Monday evening in the top of the first inning for the Mets—the first time he’s done so in two weeks. While he was away, Lindor captained team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Lindor batted leadoff all tournament. When his team needed a hit or a base runner, Lindor came through.

Across the five games Puerto Rico played, Lindor slashed .391/.440/.609/1.049 in 22 plate appearances. He scored six times and knocked in five more, accounting for one-third of the team’s runs. He played shortstop perfectly.

After the first game, Lindor commented on the energy of the games in Miami. “It was amazing,” Lindor said (via MLB.com). “[I] looked around [at all the fans], and then exactly the moment when the ball was going to be thrown, I’m paying attention. … I feed off that, we feed off that.” He guided Puerto Rico’s ethos of “putting on a show,” especially in the close of pool play against their cross-Caribbean rivals.

In Puerto Rico’s 5-2 upset win over the powerful Dominican Republic lineup, Lindor went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scoring twice—once on a Little League trip around the bases. He slid headfirst across the plate and was mobbed by his teammates. He huffed and laughed in the dugout. He’s always smiling, but doing so for Puerto Rico on the world stage clearly meant something special.

El Capitán Francisco Lindor 🫡 pic.twitter.com/OQfInwTrUH

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 16, 2023

Unfortunately, that team joy only lasted a couple more hours. Right after Edwin Díaz closed the game by striking out the side, the Mets’ closer suffered fell to the ground during the team celebration. He was carried off the field, and teammates—Edwin’s brother, Alexis; Kiké Hernandez; manager Yadier Molina—cried. Lindor did, too.

“I never knew I loved Edwin so much until I couldn’t stop crying,” he said after his first game back from the tournament. “It broke my heart. I did not feel good.”

Immediately following Díaz’s injury came a wrath of fans wishing for the end of the WBC. It’s not worth it, they said, because players can get injured playing for something like a WBC, as if players can’t get injured playing baseball anywhere (or walking out of a bullpen or sneezing or riding in a cab). Or as if the WBC isn’t worth something to the players themselves. Once again, Lindor led by being a voice of reason.

“I understand how Mets fans are hurting,” he told ESPN‘s Marly Rivera. “But while for so many people the regular season is what counts, playing in the WBC means just as much to all of us. It is the dream of every Puerto Rican ballplayer to wear Puerto Rico’s colors and to represent our country. And not only Puerto Ricans, but every player in the WBC considers being here the ultimate honor.

“We don’t want injuries to happen, but it is part of the game. Of course, this is sad for all Mets fans. And I want to thank them for being so concerned about us, and about Edwin, and I really do also feel your pain.” These games mean a lot to players like Lindor. And Pete Alonso. And Mike Trout. And Shohei Ohtani. And Edwin Díaz.

Lindor returned to a Mets team a little more banged up than he left it. Aside from Díaz, the team has lost Brandon Nimmo, José Quintana, Bryce Montes de Oca, and Sam Coonrod for various levels of time. Still, along with other members of the team, he is setting the tone that Díaz’s injury—or any injury—isn’t what will keep the Mets from trying to win a World Series. “We have a really good team,” he said. “A lot of guys are resilient.” As he did last year, and he did through the WBC, Lindor will lead by example.

The post Francisco Lindor’s Leadership on Display in WBC appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Mike Watters of USA Today

The New York Mets announced on Friday afternoon that they’ve claimed right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. Santana was sold by the Rangers to the Braves in November and then was claimed by the Twins off waivers from the Rangers last month.

Santana, 26, has allowed three runs in six innings on six hits, only one walk, and seven strikeouts in six games for the Twins this spring. The hard thrower had a 5.22 ERA, 3.89 xERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.33 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings for the Rangers in the majors last year over 63 games. Santana had a 4.28 ERA in 54 2/3 innings between the Rangers and Dodgers in 2021.

Mets have claimed right-handed Dennis Santana off waivers from the Twins.

Average fastball 96.7 mph last year and had 3.89 xERA in 58 2/3 big league innings.

pic.twitter.com/i2ANVZUrWY

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 17, 2023

Santana throws hard with a 97.7 mph average on his four-seamer and 96.7 mph on his sinker last year. Opponents had just a .282 slugging percentage in 2022 against his slider and an even lower .205 slugging percentage off his changeup.

Like Mets bullpen hopeful Stephen Nogosek, Santana is on the 40-man roster and out of options. The Mets will continue to look for bullpen improvements following a season-ending injury to Edwin Diaz and injuries to Sam Coonrod and Bryce Montes de Oca that will leave them unavailable for Opening Day.

The post Mets Claim RHP Dennis Santana From Twins appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

With Mets’ starter Jose Quintana potentially missing a significant part of the season with a rib fracture, the Mets will need the likes of David Peterson and Tylor Megill to step up as depth in the rotation.

Megill, making his third outing of the spring, tossed four scoreless innings in the Mets’ 9-3 win over the Marlins in Jupiter on Monday afternoon. Megill allowed three hits and a walk while striking out three. He tossed 58 pitches with 38 of them coming for strikes.

Megill averaged just 93.5 mph on his fastball during the outing –down from 95.7 mph last season– but he’s not worried and it’s actually part of his plan going forward after having conversations with three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer.

“The way he pitches, he saves some in the gas tank when he needs it and he’s able to stretch it out and go the distance,” Megill said.

Megill talked about how in 2022 he was throwing in the upper 90s early in his starts and then the velocity with diminish late in the game and it showed in his results. This season, Megill is going to make sure he “saves some bullets” for later in the game and for key spots throughout his starts.

Megill also noted that he believed ramping up his velocity so much in 2022 –his average fastball was up 1.1 mph from 2021– could have played a role in him missing time with a shoulder strain. The 24-year-old is focused on being healthy and effective following a season that he was the Mets Opening Day starter and started their combined no-hitter, but ultimately finished the season with a 5.13 ERA in only 47 1/3 innings.

The right-hander talked about using his curveball more with an influence from Scherzer and he threw the pitch five times (9%) on Monday after using it only 2.8% of the time last year. He averaged 63 inches of vertical break on his curveball in the outing, that’s up from 53 inches in 2022.

“I’ve been working on my curveball this whole offseason and I think it’s really going to help the top of the zone for me,” Megill said.

Scherzer said that he talked to Megill about making sure he left bullets in the tank because your most important pitches come in the sixth or seventh inning, not the first inning.

The veteran Scherzer pitched parts of five innings against Marlins’ Triple-A hitters in the back fields on Monday so that Megill could face the Miami big league hitters. Scherzer allowed a three-run homer in the first inning and gave up five runs (three earned) on around 80 pitches.

“Talking to Scherzer, he’s had a very healthy and very long career, that’s because he saves some in the gas tank when he needs it and he’s able to stretch it out and go the distance. That’s what I’m trying to do by saving my bullets and staying fresh longer.”

The post Tylor Megill Taking Notes From Max Scherzer appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

According to Tim Healey of Newsday reports that the Mets have scratched Kodai Senga from his start tonight against the Nationals in West Palm Beach. The Mets say Senga is dealing with discomfort at the base of his right index finger. John Curtiss will start in his place.

Senga was slated to make his second Grapefruit League start after going two innings allowing run one and striking out two against the Cardinals on March 5.

The Mets signed the Japanese star right-hander to a five-year, $75 million during the offseason to join Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, and Carlos Carrasco in what’s expected to be one of the best rotations in baseball.

The Mets are already dealing with an injury to starter Jose Quintana. He was diagnosed with a small stress fracture on his fifth rib on his left side.

The Mets do have rotation depth with David Peterson, Tylor Megill, and Joey Lucchesi all having solid springs and major-league experience.

The post Kodai Senga Scratched From Start With Sore Finger appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Mets recently announced that left-handed reliever Brooks Raley was removed from the USA’s WBC roster due to a low-grade left hamstring strain. He experienced tightness in his hamstring yesterday and further imaging revealed the strain. His spot on USA’s roster will be taken by former Met Aaron Loup. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first to report that Raley would miss the WBC.

Raley, 34, was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor-league southpaw Keyshawn Askew in a December 2022 trade. In 53.2 innings with Tampa Bay last season, Raley posted a 2.68 ERA with a 2.74 FIP, striking out 27.9% of his opponents. He was particularly nails on left-handed hitters, holding them to a .155/.200/282 slash line.

Raley entered camp as the top left-handed option out of Buck Showalter‘s pen, but if he is forced to miss Opening Day, Josh Walker, Joey Lucchesi, and T.J. McFarland could enter the conversation to break camp as the Mets’ only lefty. If the Mets opt to begin the season without a left-hander in the bullpen, Bryce Montes de Oca, Tommy Hunter, Sam Coonrod, Jimmy Yacabonis, and the out-of-options Stephen Nogosek are among the relievers to have impressed this spring

Andy Martino of SNY reported this morning that the Mets are currently not looking outside the organization for left-handed depth, but if they do decide to pursue that route, Zack Britton is still a free agent. It should be noted that Britton pitched for Showalter’s Orioles from 2011 to 2018 and the Mets showed interest in the lefty in January.

The post Raley Removed From WBC Roster With Hamstring Strain appeared first on Metsmerized.

Topps ended February with several major announcements at their annual hobby conference held at Chase Field in Phoenix, while their parent company Fanatics continued to tighten their rattlesnake-like grip on the industry.

Some of the biggest news included Topps announcing several different products being placed on hiatus for the 2023 season. Bowman 1st Edition, Bowman Chrome X, Bowman Heritage, Topps Archives Snapshots, Topps Clearly Authentic, Topps Fire, Topps Gallery, Topps Gold Label, and Topps Opening Day are among the products that collectors will somehow have to do without in 2023.

Bowman 1st Edition is a newer product that consists of 150-card Bowman Prospects included in the Bowman flagship set, printed on the same paper stock and the same design as the Bowman flagship set that includes a 1st stamped on the card and released prior to the Bowman flagship set. Bowman Chrome X is another newer product that is a partial parallel of the Bowman Chrome product that is released exclusively on the website stockx.com and with an incredibly small print run.

First introduced to the hobby 2001, Bowman Heritage was the Bowman counterpart to Topps Heritage, and was printed using classic Bowman designs from 1940’s and 1950’s before the company was purchased by Topps. Bowman Heritage lasted until 2007, with its most popular release being the 2004 product, which used the 1955 Bowman design that featured a player picture framed in gold with a dark wood-grained border that resembled the console television sets that were becoming popular in homes across the country.

The Bowman Heritage product was resurrected in 2019, but was only released for two years. The 2021 Bowman Heritage product was announced and given a release date only to be postponed indefinitely just before coming to market.

Topps Archives Snapshots completed its seven-year run with the 2022 product having just been released on February 17th of this year. Only available for purchase on Topps.com, the product was known for featuring current and retired stars. Topps Clearly Authentic was more of niche set that was simply released as one autographed card per box.

Topps Fire completed its six-year print run in 2022, being released without hardly any advance notice or fanfare, which seemed to be Topps’s marketing strategy for this product. The design featured some of the most colorful designs ever released by Topps as well as insert sets that all related to the product name. Exclusively available at Target, Topps Fire’s 2022 product was also available on Topps.com.

First released in 1996, Topps Gallery has different iterations from its borderless debut in 1996, the picture frame border in 1997 and 1998, to eventually having the player pictures appeared as “all-paint” portraits. A much smaller product with generally less than 200 cards, Topps Gallery was printed consistently through 2003, was left off the release calendar in 2004, brought back in 2005 and then shelved until 2017.

After being resurrected in 2017, Topps Gallery was released again as painted portraits with each set including current and retired stars, and was only available at Wal-Mart and Topps.com.

Topps Gold Label is a high end set that made its debut in 1998. Released as a multi-tiered product with three tiers: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. Each class featured the same 100 players with a slightly different design. Class 1 was always the easiest cards to find with Class 3 being the hardest. The Topps Gold Label product was released consistently until 2002 with that year’s release only featuring one class.

Brought back to the Topps lineup in 2016, Topps Gold Label was released using the same multi-tiered class structure that was used in the 1990’s, but like nearly every other Topps product, it featured current and retired stars.

Topps Opening Day is a product that collectors can definitely do without. First introduced in 1998, Topps Opening Day has been released every year since except for 2009. A smaller, recycled version of the Topps flagship product that differentiates itself from the flagship release by having the words “Opening Day” featured on the card with bunting for half the cost. Topps should have retired this product years ago.

Topps also announced they are bringing back their Topps Big League product for 2023. Released from 2018 through 2021, Topps Big League is geared towards younger collectors and priced at an affordable $1.00 per pack. Fanatics has been open about their ambitious vision of growing the hobby by attracting more collectors, so it makes sense for this kid-centric product to be resurrected.

Collectors were also told that the 2023 Bowman Draft product, expected near the end of the year, will be featuring cards of the recently retired former Montreal Expos draft pick Tom Brady. Brady has an autograph deal with Fanatics, so it was only a matter of time before the former high school catcher was given his own baseball card.

Other baseball card news included the announcement of Topps’ plans to release several products later in the year centered around the upcoming World Baseball Classic, including the on-demand Topps Now product available at Topps.com and a Chrome product. Topps is also working on creating a new baseball card pack wrapper that is biodegradable in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.

News has been scant on other Topps releases, including early season releases such as Topps Heritage, Topps Gypsy Queen, and Bowman. I’m hoping some news will begin to leak soon.

The post News From the Topps Industry Conference appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jose Quintana. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

José Quintana announced on his Instagram that he will no longer be playing for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic this month. The decision comes after Quintana left his appearance in Sunday’s game early due to left-side tightness. Quintana said in his post that he’s been dealing with problems on the left side before Sunday’s appearance. He will now focus on being healthy for the start of the regular season.

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga made his first appearance of spring training Sunday, tossing two innings and allowing one hit, one run, and two walks with two strikeouts. Senga threw 42 pitches, 24 of which were strikes, and sat around 97 miles per hour on his fastball.

“He’s good, man. Good fastball. Thought the slider was really good. Obviously, he was a little erratic in that first inning, but he seems like he’s got plus stuff and it seems like he’s going to be really good for them,” Nolan Arenado said of Senga to Katie Woo of The Athletic after the game.

Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso both homered, and Tim Locastro and Abraham Almonte continued to impress as the Mets defeated the Cardinals 7-1. The Mets’ bullpen combined for seven scoreless innings, highlighted by Bryce Montes de Oca striking out two in a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

The Mets received some good news on David Peterson after he was drilled by a comebacker on Saturday, as he was diagnosed with just a bruised left foot. The Mets say Peterson is day-to-day.

Latest MLB News

The investigation of White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger has concluded, and he will not face discipline for his actions. Furthermore, Clevinger has agreed to comply with MLB and the MLBPA on evaluations and their recommendations.

Rays radio announcer Dave Wills passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 58. Wills had been with the team since 2005 and was extremely popular and well-liked by fans and his coworkers. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Wills was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia during the final weeks of the regular season, which is an arrhythmia that affects the heart’s upper chambers. He returned to the team for the Wild Card Series and looked to be in good shape this spring according to the Rays. The team canceled Sunday’s radio broadcast and held a moment of silence before their game.

Yesterday was like every other day for the last 18 years. Sharing. Laughs. Baseball. Fun. No way to know it was the last time. Sadness beyond words today. It always felt like we were actual brothers. Will miss him forever. Love to him and his family. pic.twitter.com/pHnHAbwL2J

— Andrew Freed (@AndrewFreed33) March 5, 2023

The Rockies have reached an agreement on a minor-league contract with three-time All-Star Mike Moustakas. The 34-year-old is coming off another injury-plagued year for the Reds, in which he hit just .214/.295/.345 (74 OPS+) with seven homers and negative-1.0 rWAR in 285 plate appearances. The Reds released him from the last year of his four-year $64 million contract in January.

Latest on MMO

Ricky Keeler previews Pool C of the World Baseball Classic.

Anthony Gabbianelli recaps Sunday’s win over the Cardinals.

On This Date in Mets History

2016: Despite new rules coming into place, the Commissioner’s office overturns the two-game suspension issued to Chase Utley for his slide that injured Ruben Tejada in the NLDS. The league comes to the decision because the rules on sliding were too vague at the time of the play.

Birthdays: Cookie Rojas (84)

The post Morning Briefing: José Quintana Withdraws From World Baseball Classic appeared first on Metsmerized.

Adding the pitch clock, taking away the shift, these are the ingredients to Rob Manfred’s latest baseball soup.

The Mets are three games into spring training, adjusting to the present reality. So far, so good. The Mets haven’t had any pitch clock issues, and eliminating the shift already looks like it’ll help some batters this season.

What else have we learned from the opening weekend of 2023 Mets baseball?

Jose Butto‘s New Pitch

Mets pitching prospect Jose Butto was the first to take the mound in intersquad games this season. The Venezuelan right-hander made his first major league appearance last season, getting lit up over four innings. But out of the spotlight, it appears Butto was working on something to take him to the next level.

Butto pitched 1 2/3 innings, striking out four. Batters swung and missed eight times on 18 swings. His fastball reached 97 miles per hour and a new pitch was thrown from his arsenal.

Jose Butto had it working in his first Spring Training start.

The @Mets pitching prospect gets 4 of his 5 outs via the strikeout. pic.twitter.com/dU7eUujrxj

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 26, 2023

Butto should spend a significant amount of time at Triple-A Syracuse this season. Adding a fourth pitch to an arsenal that includes a plus changeup and a developing curveball could push him toward the starting rotation discussion in the coming years. Last season in Triple-A, Butto made seven starts and eight appearances with a 2.45 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.

Butto’s cutter sits near 89 miles per hour and gives him a fourth pitch to diversify his mix even more. He recorded three whiffs on four swings with it. He already has the best changeup in the Mets system, this increases his ceiling.

Metsmerized has him as No. 13 on our Mets Top 30 Prospects.

The Kids Are Alright

Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Mark Vientos are starting spring by hitting the ball hard.

Baty’s first at-bat of spring training went pretty well for a guy gunning for the starting third base job.

Brett Baty goes BOOM to start the spring! pic.twitter.com/Xo0SaaFzYF

— MLB (@MLB) February 25, 2023

Baty went 2-for-2 with a walk, and two runs batted in against the Astros on Saturday. Unfortunately for him, he committed a fielding error. An unreliable glove will be the quickest way to the bench for the Mets and manager Buck Showalter‘s penchant for defense.

Mauricio went o-for-2 in his first game against the Marlins on Saturday but found his stroke in his second game, showing off impressive power by launching a baseball 450 feet and 110.0 miles per hour off the bat.

Ronny Mauricio (21 y/o) hit this HR 450 ft w/ an exit velo of 110 mph.

Here’s the list of batters 21 or younger (age of 6/30) who hit a HR 450+ ft w/ an exit velo of 110+ mph since 2015:

Correa
Guerrero Jr.
Soto
Acuña Jr.
Tatis Jr.
Julio Rodríguez #Metspic.twitter.com/FQ4Jj44iyi

— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) February 26, 2023

Mauricio is coming off a winter where he won Dominican League MVP the arrow is pointing up more and more for the Mets prospect.

In the same game, Mark Vientos showed off the pop in his bat, launching a 109.8 mile-per-hour double into the gap.

.@MarkVientos_5 drops one in! pic.twitter.com/zm1HfdQuOJ

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

Sprinting all the way from first to home in that video? Mets outfield prospect Alex Ramirez who hit a 27.2 feet/second sprint speed.

It’s possible no one in the organization has more pressure on themselves than Vientos this spring. A good spring could open him up to a designated hitter platoon with Daniel Vogelbach, a bad spring could keep him in baseball purgatory as a “quadruple-A” player. Better than the minors but not quite ready for the majors.

Buck Showalter, Ever Present

The Mets played two games on Saturday. Buck Showalter, everyone’s favorite micromanager, drove up and down the Floridian highways to manage both games.

Showalter’s day began at The Ballparo of Palm Beaches with the Mets playing the Astros at 1:07 p.m. With the pitch clock the game only took two hours and 33 minutes. Afterward, he traveled back to the Mets facilities in Port St. Lucie to manage the Mets against the Marlins at 6:10 p.m. That game lasted 2:35.

Although it didn’t all go smoothly.

Buck Showalter had some technical difficulties with the pitching change 😂 pic.twitter.com/Np4Vh0PVcu

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 25, 2023

Showalter is entering season two with the Mets and already had his major request granted. No longer are the bullpens on the field at the Mets’ home field of Clover Park.

Best Shape Of His Life?

Unfortunately for all of us, no one in Mets camp has dropped the classic ‘best shape of his life’ line.

Yet, Daniel Vogelbach might be. Vogelbach lost a significant amount of weight between the last game of the season and his arrival at camp. Reportedly he lost 20-25 pounds and is quoted saying “I just feel good. I’m ready for a season where everybody’s expectations are high.”

Vogelbach is one of the Mets primary backup options for the Mets at first base but his primary role on the team will be smashing right-handed pitching. Yes, he’s already got that underway as well.

Another day, another VogelRBI 👏 pic.twitter.com/t0REFXpC5t

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

Just For Fun

Pete Alonso home runs. Gary Cohen’s “it’s outta here.” We made it everyone. Baseball is back.

Raise your hand if you missed watching Pete hit homers ✋ pic.twitter.com/FcftH119cd

— New York Mets (@Mets) February 25, 2023

The post Top Takeaways From Mets Opening Spring Training Games appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Pitchers and catchers officially reported to Port St. Lucie for the beginning of Mets spring training, officially kicking off the countdown to the 2023 season.

Among those spotted in uniform were Max Scherzer, who is looking to pitch 200 innings for New York this season after producing a career-best 2.29 ERA in his first season in Queens.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Co-ace Justin Verlander also put on Mets gear for the first time outside of his introductory press conference. The two will bring a combined six Cy Youngs to the front of the Mets rotation.

Kevin Parada, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Outside of Verlander and Scherzer, one of the most intriguing names at camp Wednesday was Kevin Parada, one of the Mets 2022 first-round draft picks and one of the organization’s top prospects. Parada will gain valuable experience this spring catching the likes of Verlander and Scherzer while also seeing big-league pitching up close and personal.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Kodai Senga also made his first spring training appearance after being signed in the offseason to a five-year, $75 million contract. Senga is one of the most intriguing players on the Mets this season, and how quickly he can acclimate to MLB will go a long way in determining how good the team’s pitching staff can be.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

While Verlander, Scherzer, Senga, José Quintana, and Carlos Carrasco are likely to open the season as the team’s starting rotation, Tylor Megill figures to be another important piece of the team’s pitching staff. Megill and David Peterson will be the first names up when the Mets need an additional starter, and Megill will be looking to bounce back after a 2022 season that was marred by injuries.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

In addition to pitchers and catchers, Mets manager Buck Showalter was also in town as he begins his second season with the team. Showalter was named the National League Manager of the Year a season ago after leading the Mets to 101 wins and a postseason birth.

The Mets position players will join the rest of the club next Monday, and the Mets will begin their spring training schedule with games against the Astros and Marlins on February 25.

The post Photos from Port St. Lucie: Pitchers and Catchers Arrive at Camp appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning and happy Valentine’s Day, Mets fans!

Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. has withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic after he recently tweaked his hamstring. The 2022 All-Star was expected to lead Team USA’s rotation alongside Clayton Kershaw, Brady Singer, and Miles Mikolas. With Cortes out of the picture, Adam Wainwright and Kyle Freeland will be expected to play bigger roles as the Americans look to defend their title.

Latest Mets News

Keith Hernandez has agreed to a three-year contract to remain in the SNY booth. Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Hernandez is expected to work 110 games in each of the next three seasons. Hernandez, Gary Cohen, and Ron Darling are entering their 18th year working together as the Mets’ TV broadcasting crew.

Brandon Nimmo spoke to reporters in Port St. Lucie on Monday, saying that he bought himself a new car after signing his eight-year contract in December. He also spoke on his decision to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, saying he didn’t want to risk getting injured before the season started.

Chris Newell was named the 14th manager in Brooklyn Cyclones history, replacing Luis Rivera. Newell served as the team’s bench coach last year and has previous managerial experience in the United States Shore Baseball League.

Adam Ottavino shared his thoughts on the new pitch clock rules, saying that he thinks pitchers like upping their pace when they’re pitching well to keep hitters uncomfortable.

Latest MLB News

Major League Baseball’s Joint Competition Committee unanimously voted to keep the runner on second base rule in extra innings permanent for all regular-season games. The committee also voted that position players will only be allowed to pitch either in extra innings, when the leading team is up by at least 10 runs, or when the trailing team is down by at least eight runs.

Real estate magnate and Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner passed away Sunday at the age of 97. Lerner took over the reins of the franchise in the summer of 2006, with his family owning 90 percent of the team’s shares. He saw the team win the NL East four times and the franchise’s first World Series in 2019.

The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Matt Wisler, with an invite to spring training. Wisler was solid for the Rays in 2022, turning in a 2.25 ERA with 35 strikeouts against 14 walks in 44 innings.

Marlins Rule 5 pick Nic Enright announced on his Instagram that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma back in December and has already completed his first round of treatment. An alum of Virginia Tech, Enright has spent the last four seasons in the Cleveland organization.

The Cardinals have extended president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s contract through the 2025 season. By the end of this latest extension, Mozeliak will rank as one of the longest-tenured executives in the franchise’s 132-year history in the NL.

The Twins are showing interest in three-time All-Star and Minneapolis native Brad Hand, according to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. The former Met appeared in 55 games for the Phillies in 2022, posting a solid 2.80 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 45 innings.

Latest on MMO

John Sheridan looks at what to expect from Mark Vientos, who checks in as the eighth-best prospect in the Mets organization in MMO’s rankings.

On This Date in Mets History

1985: The Mets agree to a one-year contract worth $1.32 million with Dwight Gooden, making him the youngest player ever to receive over a million dollars. Gooden won Rookie of the Year in 1984 and won the NL Cy Young award in a historic 1985 campaign.

Birthdays: Kelly Stinnett (53), Tyler Clippard (38)

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