By Jacob Resnick

One of the best parts of Pete Alonso‘s record-smashing rookie season was watching him light up the Statcast leaderboards on a nightly basis.

Every other day it seemed like Alonso was breaking another “Statcast era” record or coming close to it. Either way, many baseballs were harmed in the making of this superstar.

Thanks to the magic of Baseball Savant, here’s a look at some of the Statcast highs and lows produced by the Mets in 2019.

Hardest-hit ball

We were just being introduced to the Polar Bear when Alonso unleashed his might onto a Jonny Venters fastball at SunTrust Park on April 11.

pic.twitter.com/kt3xC335mz

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

It’s funny to think about the fact that, during a season in which Alonso destroyed baseballs left and right, it was a home run in just his 12th game that set the bar. Only three players in the majors (Giancarlo Stanton, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Aristedes Aquino) matched or exceeded Alonso’s 118.3 mph blast in 2019.

Weakest-hit base hit (non-bunt)

If Todd Frazier‘s 2019 season could be encapsulated in one video, I think this one would be it.

pic.twitter.com/RJevmvWhLq

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

In late August, Tim Britton of the Athletic conducted one of the more fascinating investigations of the year into Frazier’s alarmingly frequent tendency to lose his bat on a swing. “It’s annoying, to be honest with you,” Frazier was quoted as saying. The unofficial final tally reached 15, which, according to Elias, is a single-season franchise record among third basemen.

And, as ugly as the process may have looked, he always seemed to get things done — just like on this ball that left the bat at 37.6 mph.

Fastest pitch

After throwing just six pitches above 100 mph in 2018, the Mets pitching staff turned up the heat this year, pumping out 16 such pitches.

pic.twitter.com/hAB9qIC7vh

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

Edwin Diaz provided 11 of those pitches, including this one at 101.6 mph that sailed up and in on Jean Segura on September 6. That fastball, in particular, underscores the overarching theme of Diaz’s season: he didn’t lose anything off his wicked stuff from an outstanding 2018 campaign with Seattle, but just when you thought he was beginning to right the ship in 2019, things seemed to always sail awry.

Slowest pitch

Love him or hate him, you have to admit this about Jason Vargas: it takes serious skill to survive in the major leagues with velocities that begin with the number six.

pic.twitter.com/imlaWbiImX

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

Godspeed (or lack thereof), Jason.

Highest spin rate

It wouldn’t make sense for anyone other than Seth Lugo to lead in this category, right?

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— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

Good, because this Lugo curveball, at 3,572 rpm, was the highest-spinning pitch spun by a Met in 2019. Number two? This Jeurys Familia sinker that came in at 3,571 rpm — exactly one revolution per minute less than Lugo’s breaker.

pic.twitter.com/oCFqpQ78yJ

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

Worst pitch framed for a strike

It’s fitting that this video of Tomas Nido stealing a strike for Jacob deGrom on May 22 begins with Gary Cohen discussing that particular battery’s rapport with each other.

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— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

Although deGrom is a world-class pitcher with anyone squatting behind the dish, he was particularly excellent when working with Nido, posting a 1.88 ERA and 7.0 K/BB ratio in 11 starts. For comparison’s sake, Wilson Ramos oversaw a 2.39 ERA and 5.4 K/BB ratio in 21 starts. Imperfect metrics, sure, but not nothing.

Best pitch framed for a ball

Speaking of deGrom and Ramos, I’m not sure where this one missed.

pic.twitter.com/54novE0TFP

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

To put it bluntly, Wilson Ramos is not very good at framing pitches. Statcast’s “runs from extra strikes above average” metric had him as the 13th-worst (-4) in baseball among 62 qualified backstops. (Yasmani Grandal was third-best, for what it’s worth, at +12). Baseball Prospectus, which uses a more lenient qualification threshold, had Ramos at 107 out of 123 catchers by their framing metric, “called strikes above average runs.”

Ramos is the clear-cut number one on the catching depth chart heading into 2020, but getting this area tightened up has to be at the top of the to-do list in spring training.

Most “inside” pitch

pic.twitter.com/sGUyDHVnSD

— Mets MiLB Videos (@MetsMiLBVideos) September 30, 2019

Thanks for the memories, Brooks Pounders.

The post Mets Statcast Superlatives For 2019 appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets survive another nail biter from the bullpen as they stave off the Braves with the tying run at the plate.

Coming off eight consecutive no decisions, starter Steven Matz tossed a six-inning beauty yielding two runs on four hits mowing down eight with one walk.

Showcasing a little more bulk to his build, the Long Island lefty retired 13 in a row before Ronald Acuna Jr. smacked a two-out single up the middle.

Atlanta jumped ahead 1-0 in the first on Acuna’s run scoring triple, but their short-lived lead was relinquished in the second after NY cashed in on a pair of free passes with one swing of Amed Rosario’s bat.

In his sophomore season, the young Dominican, who has dazzled offensively, drove in another run in the sixth on a single to right for a career high four-RBI night.

Johan Camargo’s first homer cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second.

Rookie Pete Alonso, the gift that keeps on hitting, jacked a two-run shot off reliever Jonny Venters in the seventh, a 454 laser that landed in a terrace fountain beyond the center field fence.

“Nursing” a 6-2 lead, reliever Robert Gsellman found himself in some hotter water, loading the bases in the bottom frame. With one away, the gum-chewing Gsellman coaxed Ozhaino Albies to chase high outside heat then escaped unscathed getting Josh Donaldson on a ground out to third.

Acuna brought the Braves one run closer in the eighth going 462 feet deep off of reliever Luis Avilan for his third hit of the game.

And the Mets wouldn’t be the Mets if they didn’t end a game amid more bullpen drama. With runners on second and third in the ninth, Edwin Diaz eluded a NY nightmare by striking out Freddie Freeman on a 3-2 count with a 99 mph fastball for his fifth save.

Next up, Zack Wheeler brings his 10.24 ERA to his hometown Braves to face fellow right-hander Kyle Wright, both vying for their first wins of the season.

The post Rosario, Alonso Provide Power in 6-3 Win Against Braves appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets (8-4) took down the Atlanta Braves (7-5) by a final of 6-3 in their first meeting of the season. The evening’s winning pitcher was starter Steven Matz, while Braves’ starter Kevin Gausman was pegged with the loss. Edwin Diaz came away with his fifth save of the season.

Offense

After going down in order against righty Kevin Gausman the prior inning, the Mets answered with a three-spot in the second. Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos each drew a pair of walks before Amed Rosario cracked his first homer of the young season – a bomb on a high fastball that landed in the bullpen in right-center field.

The Mets managed nothing beyond a Pete Alonso walk in the third inning and a Juan Lagares single in the fifth, but woke up just in time to knock Gausman out of the sixth. Ramos capped off a ten-pitch at-bat with an opposite-field base knock with two down before Jeff McNeil peppered in a single into right that moved Ramos to third. Against reliever Wes Parsons, Rosario drove in an insurance run with a groundball base hit to right – his fourth RBI on the night.

Brandon Nimmo led off the seventh with a four-pitch walk against left-hander Jonny Venters before the Pete Alonso show picked back up – this time in the form of a 118.3 mph home run (the hardest-hit homer this year, according to Statcast) into the lagoon above the batter’s eye in straightaway center. With the 454-foot bomb, Alonso now has six homers and 17 runs batted in – both good for second in the National League. His .909 slugging percentage is the second-highest in the majors behind none other than Mike Trout.

Robinson Cano went hitless with two strikeouts in his turns at the plate. He is currently batting .180 with a .561 OPS in his first 50 at-bats in a Met uniform.

Pitching

Steven Matz began his first inning of work with two outs on four pitches, but surrendered a ground-rule double to Freddie Freeman before Ronald Acuna Jr. smacked a run-scoring triple to dead center three pitches later. The ball left the bat with an exit velocity of 101 mph, though could have been pulled in with a less circuitous route from Juan Lagares, who dropped the liner right at the warning track. The Braves went back to work with a one-out homer off the bat of Johan Camargo. Matz would limit the damage to the lone run, albeit on 28 pitches thanks to a walk and flurry of 2-2 and 3-2 counts.

Matz pushed back through the next three innings, striking out a pair in each inning amidst a string of 13 consecutive outs. The lefty retired eight total via strikes, bringing his rate per nine innings to 10.62 (the second-best in the rotation behind ace Jacob deGrom).

A base hit by Acuña with two down in the sixth broke Matz’s streak, but not his stride, and with his 102nd pitch of the evening, the lefty induced a 4-3 groundout from Nick Markakis to earn his first quality start of the year. To this point in the 2019 season, the lefty has allowed just one earned run after the first inning, and leads the pitching staff with a pristine 1.65 ERA. With tonight’s victory, Matz enjoys his first winning decision since July 26.

In Matz’s place, Robert Gsellman pitched a scoreless seventh, though not without its share of hitches. The righty allowed two singles before walking Matt Joyce to load the bases, but fought back with a strikeout of Ozzie Albies before coaxing a forceout from Josh Donaldson to leave the Braves off the board.

The eighth inning, too, had its share of events, as Acuña took Luis Avilan to the back of the bleachers in left field to pull Atlanta within three. Jeurys Familia was summoned for the last two outs of the inning, and succeeded with a pair of strikeouts, one of which featured an ejection of Braves’ skipper Brian Snitker and the other of which followed a walk and stolen base by Dansby Swanson.

Up by three in the bottom of the ninth, the Mets gave Edwin Diaz the ball. Despite allowing a leadoff single from Tyler Flowers and opposite-field double from Donaldson, the flamethrower got the last laugh, blowing away Freeman on a high fastball to lock down the win.

On Deck

The Mets will look to build off tonight’s success tomorrow ahead of their second game in a four-game set with Atlanta. They will get their first taste of highly-touted prospect Kyle Wright, who will battle Georgia-native Zack Wheeler, who hopes to steer his 10.24 ERA in the right direction. First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 ET on SNY.

The post Game Recap: Mets Ride Matz and Bats to Beat Braves, 6-3 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Well, the Mets find themselves in a familiar position. Coming home from a nine-game road trip in which they went 6-3, they open a ten-game homestand against Atlanta with hopes of maintaining their success. Their record at Citi Field has been a problem since the new park opened. If this season is going to be any different, if the Mets dream of meeting Sandy Alderson’s lofty 90 win goal, it has to start with playing well at home. The Amazins will play Atlanta for three, St. Louis for four, and and close the homestand with Miami for three.

The Braves – Since We Last Saw Them

It was just a week ago when the Mets went to Atlanta and won two out of three. Since then, the Braves have been taking advantage of their dominance against Washington, winning three straight, before taking two out of three from the Phillies. Atlanta leads the division with a 10-5 record. They have done so hitting home runs, playing exceptional defense, and getting excellent starting pitching despite a rash of injuries. Aaron Harang and Ervin Santana proving to be fantastic late acquisitions. Having lost Brian McCann to the Yankees, Evan Gattis has taken the catching reigns, batting .378 with 4 home runs in ten games played. Gattis joins Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton as the power group, all with four home runs on the young season.

2014 Lineup

1. Jason Heyward RF
2. B.J. Upton CF
3. Freddie Freeman 1B
4. Justin Upton LF
5. Evan Gattis C
6. Dan Uggla 2B
7. Chris Johnson 3B
8. Andrelton Simmons SS

Key Injuries

• It is almost unfathomable to comprehend the amount of pitching the Braves lost to Tommy John surgery. Free agent SP Gavin Floyd is recovering from Tommy John, RP Jonny Venters is also recovering, but may not pitch until June. And both SP Kris Medlan and SP Brandon Beachy will miss the season due to Tommy John, as well as RP Cory Gearrin.

Interesting Notes

• Chris Young is expected to be activated tonight. He hit .667 (8-12) with 2 home runs in his rehab play.
• The Mets have scored first 10 times this season, yet they have had a better record when the opposing team strikes first. They are 4-6 when scoring first, and 4-1 when being scored upon.
• Over the last 11 games, the Mets bullpen is 3-1 with 2 saves and a 3.00 ERA.

Pitching Probables

Friday (7:10): LHP Jon Niese (0-1, 3.46) vs. RHP Aaron Harang (2-0, 0.96)
Saturday (7:10): RHP Bartolo Colon (1-2, 6.00) vs. RHP Ervin Santana (1-0, 0.64)
Sunday (1:10): RHP Zack Wheeler (1-2, 4.76) vs. RHP David Hale (0-0, 2.89)

The post Series Preview: Atlanta Braves appeared first on Metsmerized.

It has been a helter-skelter start to the season for the New York Mets. After starting 0-3, having been swept by the Nationals, with the bullpen looking like it could be one of the worst of all-time, the Amazins have won two consecutive series, and the bullpen has been a strength. The starting pitching has been a consistency through the first nine games, as has the inconsistency of the team’s bats. After a win in Atlanta on Thursday night, in a game with an inconvenient start time considering the Mets had to travel to Anaheim to play on Friday, the team finds themselves 4-5 in the standings. There are six games remaining on the current road trip, beginning with three this weekend against the Angels.

The Angels

Like the Mets, the Angels got off to a disastrous start at home, losing their first three games to the new-look Mariners. They then embarked on a six-game road trip, where they faced new division rival Houston, followed by Seattle again. By winning four out of six on the trip, they find their record on pace with the Mets at 4-5. Perhaps the biggest news of the early season for Anaheim was the injury to Josh Hamilton, who will miss 6-8 weeks after hurting his thumb sliding head first into first base. He was off to a scorching hot start at the plate. If Mets fans thought before their recent run of success that their bullpen had concerns, the Angels ‘pen has been serving up home runs at a league worst 2.63 HR/9 rate. With superstars Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, there is plenty of offensive potential in the Angels’ lineup, but the bats haven’t quite woken up from their winter slumber. As a team, the Angels rank fifth worst in the AL in strikeout percentage at 21.6%. Nine games into the season, the Angels and Mets have very different talent on their rosters, but similar issues.

2014 Lineup

1. Kole Calhoun RF
2. Mike Trout CF
3. Albert Pujols 1B
4. Raul Ibanez DH
5. David Freese 3B
6. Howie Kendrick 2B
7. Chris Iannetta C
8. Erick Aybar SS
9. J.B. Shuck (vs L) / Collin Cowgill (vs R) LF

Key Injuries

• OF Josh Hamilton will miss 6-8 weeks for thumb surgery.
• RP Brian Moran is out for the season to Tommy John surgery.
• RP Sean Burnett will return later this month, recovering from elbow surgery.

Interesting Notes

• Since 2007, the Halos are 84-44 in interleague play, best in baseball during that time.
• 28 of the Angels’ 41 runs allowed have come with two outs, with 23 of those coming against Seattle.
• Starting slow has been a habit since Pujols joined the Angels. The team is 13-22 over the past two Aprils.
• Albert Pujols needs 6 home runs to reach 500.

Pitching Probables

Friday (10:05): RHP Dillon Gee (0-0, 4.50) vs. LHP Tyler Skaggs (1-0, 0.00)
Saturday (9:05): LHP Jon Niese (0-1, 3.18) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (0-2, 6.00)
Sunday (3:35): RHP Bartolo Colon (1-1, 2.08) vs. LHP C.J. Wilson (1-1, 4.61)

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Conor Glassey of Baseball America reported in on a new tournament that the New York Mets are launching — called the Metropolitan Baseball Classic. It’s an eight-team tournament scheduled to take place in New York over Labor Day weekend. The eight teams will consist of the Evoshield Canes, NorCal Baseball, Marucci Elite, Orlando Scorpions, St. Louis Mets, Team Elite, a team from Texas and a team from the Northeast area.

The teams from Texas and the NorthEast will be hand-picked by the Mets themselves. The travel teams mentioned earlier each have their own merit as well, with NorCal boasting names like Troy Tulowitzki, Jimmy Rollins, Dontrelle Willis, and Xavier Nady — while the Scorpions have Zack Greinke, Chris Sale, and Jonny Venters to their name. You can read more about each specific team in the linked article.

Glassey says it best here:

Weather permitting, every team is guaranteed four games with pool play between two groups of four teams and then a championship game, a third-place game, a fifth-place game and a seventh-place game. Each team will play at least one game at Citi Field, but games will also take place at MCU Park, the home of the Mets’ short-season Brooklyn Cyclones, and at St. John’s Jack Kaiser Stadium.

For the Mets, the tournament allows their staff to become more familiar with the players, while the players and their families become more familiar with the organization. The Mets can learn more about each players’ makeup and can perform various tests, if they choose, on some of 2014’s top prospects.

I think this is an excellent idea by the New York Mets and kudos to their scouting department. Tommy Tanous, scouting director, said that he got the idea from Bob Fontaine Jr.’s Mariner Cup. I, for one, am looking forward to it!

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Team News and Notes

Atlanta Braves (17-9)

Justin Upton launched his major league leading 12th home run of the season this week. He hit just 17 a year ago, and is currently on pace to shatter his career high of 31 back in 2011. The same can’t be said for his brother B.J. Upton, who has just three home runs, and is hitting a paltry .143 on the season. Freddie Freeman has not made much of an impact since returning from the DL eight games ago, as the first baseman has just one extra base hit during that span. The great start to the season by Paul Maholm came to an abrupt end in his last start. The lefty took his minuscule 1.03 ERA into Detroit, and was battered around to the tune of eight earned runs, and left with a 3.30 ERA. Tim Hudson earned the 200th win of his career on Tuesday, as he pitched a gem against the Nationals. Hudson continues to pitch well despite being 37-years of age, and owns a career record of 200-105.

Washington Nationals (13-14)

How scary is Bryce Harper? Harper hit 22 home runs in his rookie season, and is already almost half way there with nine, and we are only one month into the season. The 20-year-old has been on a tear of late, hitting .353, with four home runs, seven RBI, four doubles, and a triple over his last 11 games. Harper leads the team with a .344 batting average. The Nationals had an injury scare with Stephen Strasburg, and pulled him early from his last start due to forearm tightness. The big guy says he will make his next start, but the Nats might take precautions and skip a start. The Nationals who were expected to be a powerhouse team, continue to struggle, and are under .500 after one month of the season.

Philadelphia Phillies (12-15)

The Phillies starting catcher Carlos Ruiz returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing 25 games due to an amphetamine suspension. The Phillies backstop had a great year in 2012, hitting .325 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI. Delmon Young was activated from the DL on Tuesday, and had two hits including a home run in his season debut. Ryan Howard has been heating up of late, and is showing flashes of his old self. Over his last eight games, the lefty slugger has a .300/.290/.633 slash, with two home runs, 10 RBI, and four doubles. Kyle Kendrick is quietly having one of the best seasons on the Phillies pitching staff. He recently completed a three-hit shut out against the Mets, and owns a tidy 2.41 ERA through five starts to begin the year. Roy Halladay was rolling until he ran into Cleveland on Tuesday, and lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up eight earned runs. I was going to say that he was almost all the way back this week, but apparently he’s not.

Miami Marlins (8-19)

Marlins stud outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was beginning to come around, as he finally tallied his first home run of the season this past week. Stanton was red hot before he strained his hamstring on Monday, as he finally turned the power on hitting three jacks, while also driving in eight runs.  The rest of the Marlins remain in a coma offensively, ranking at the bottom of the majors in home runs, runs, and RBI. Jose Fernandez hasn’t made it into the fifth inning in two of his last three starts, while Kevin Slowey leads the team with a 2.15 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.

Injury Report

Nationals: Stephen Strasburg might miss his next start, after being pulled from his most recent outing with forearm tightness. Ryan Zimmerman is ready to play in rehab games, and after a few tune ups this week, he should be activated from the DL on Friday. Jayson Werth was out of the lineup on Tuesday, as he is dealing with hamstring and ankle ailments. Wilson Ramos was activated from the DL on April 29. Reliever Christian Garcia remains on the DL with partial tear in his forearm.

Braves: Jason Heyward who was placed on the DL after having an appendectomy on last Monda, is hoping for a late-May return. Brian McCann (offseason shoulder surgery) began a rehab assignment on Friday, and is all goes well will be activated on May 6.. Jonny Venters (elbow) will begin throwing on Tuesday. Brandon Beachy (Tommy John surgery) is still recovering and could return by midseason.

Phillies: Delmon Young made his return to the lineup a little earlier than expected, as he was activated on April 30. John Lanna remains on the DL, and could miss 6-8 weeks due to a strained quad.

Marlins:  Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the DL with a grade 2 strain of his hamstring, which should sideline him a minimum of three weeks. Joe Mahoney was also placed on the DL with a hamstring injury. Adeiny Hechavarria was placed on the DL with a bruised elbow, is ready to begin rehab games. Casey Kotchman who is on the DL with a strained hamstring may return by mid-May. Logan Morrison is recovering from a torn patella tendon that required surgery last September, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on May 10. Henderson Alvarez is throwing and could return by early May, while Nathan Eovaldi remains out indefinitely, and was transferred to the 60-day DL.

Upcoming Schedules (4/29-5/5) 

Nationals: (ATL, 4/29-5/2), (@PIT, 5/3-5/5)

Braves: (WSH, 4/29-5/2), (NYM, 5/3-5/5)

Phillies: (@CLE, 4/30-5/31), (MIA, 5/2-5/5)

Marlins: (@MIN, 4/29-5/1) (@PHI, 5/2-5/5)

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Team News and Notes

Atlanta Braves (13-5)

After starting the season 12-1, the Braves have dropped four of their last five games, including three in a row to the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Monday, the Braves joined the Mets as the next team to have their games in Colorado postponed due to snow, and will play a doubleheader on Tuesday. Freddie Freeman returns to the lineup after missing time with an oblique injury. Jason Heyward was hitting just .121 before his appendectomy last night, and B.J. Upton is still batting .167. The pitching staff has three starters with ERA’s of 2.16 or lower starting with Kris Medlen, Paul Maholm at 1.03, and Mike Minor leads the club at 0.95. The Braves lead the majors in home runs with 29, mainly due to their new stud outfielder Justin Upton, who has nine. The Braves also lead the majors with a WHIP of 1.09 and a team ERA of 2.36.

Washington Nationals (10-9)

The Nationals promoted top prospect Anthony Rendon after learning that they would have to place Ryan Zimmerman on the DL. Stephen Strasburg‘s numbers look good, but he has a record of 1-3 to start the season, including being out-dueled by Matt Harvey on Friday night.  Gio Gonzalez has pitched poorly to start the year with a 5.85 ERA, while Ross Detwiler leads the team at 0.90. Bryce Harper continues to lead the charge offensively, leading the team in home runs with seven, and RBI with 14.

Philadelphia Phillies (9-11)

The Phillies continue to struggle as they remain under .500 after 20 games to start the season. Chase Utley is the only player producing right now, and he leads the team with three home runs and 15 RBI. Ryan Howard has struggled, and has just one home run in 18 games, while Michael Young has been a nice addition leading the team with a .333 batting average. On the mound, the Phils called up their fourth overall prospect, RHP Jonathan Pettibone, to replace the injured John Lannan in the rotation. After giving up 13 earned runs in his first two starts on the year, Cole Hamels has allowed just four earned runs over 13 innings in his last two starts. Roy Halladay appears to have gotten back on track, allowing just three earned runs in 17 innings over his last two outings.

Miami Marlins (4-15)

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton returned to the Marlins lineup last Thursday after missing a week with a shoulder injury. He is just 4-for-18 since returning and remains homerless, but did get his first RBI of the season on Monday. Stanton is batting an unsightly .188/.316/.229 with no home runs, one RBI, two doubles, and has struck out 20 times in 38 at-bats. Jose Fernandez got his first real taste of the majors in his last start, when he lasted just four innings, giving up five runs on six hits, while walking three and striking out four. The Marlins offense continues to sputter, as they have just six home runs and only 41 RBI as a team, which are the lowest totals in the majors. Miami also had their game against the Minnesota Twins postponed Monday, and will play a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Injury Report

Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the DL with a strain of his left hamstring. Wilson Ramos, who is also dealing with a strain of his left hamstring, is improving after being placed on the DL on April 14. He is expected to return when he is eligible to come off at the end of the month. Reliever Christian Garcia remains on the DL with partial tear in his forearm.

Braves: Jason Heyward is out indefinitely after having an appendectomy on Monday. Brian McCann (offseason shoulder surgery) remains on the DL, and the veteran backstop felt some tenderness in his wrist last week right before he was set to begin a rehab assignment. Jonny Venters (elbow) remains shut down for four weeks as of April 2, and may be out for the first two months. Brandon Beachy (Tommy John surgery) is still recovering and could return by midseason.

Phillies: Delmon Young (ankle) is progressing nicely and may be able to start a rehab stint as early as next week. His May return still remains on target. John Lannan was placed on the DL, could miss 6-8 weeks due to a strained quad.

Marlins:  Adeiny Hechavarria was placed on the DL with a bruised elbow, and should return in two weeks. Casey Kotchman who was placed on the DL, retroactive to April 4, with a strained hamstring is nearing his return. Logan Morrison is currently on the 60-day DL, as he recovers from a torn patella tendon that required surgery last September. Henderson Alvarez is throwing and could return by early May, while Nathan Eovaldi remains out indefinitely, and was transferred to the 60-day DL.

Upcoming Schedules (4/12-4/28) 

Nationals: (STL, 4/22-4/24), (CIN, 4/25-4/28)

Braves: (@COL, 4/22-4/24), (@DET, 4/26-4/28)

Phillies: (PIT, 4/22-4/25), (@NYM, 4/26-4/28)

Marlins: (@MIN, 4/22-4-23) (@CHC, 4/25-4/28)

Suspensions

Carlos Ruiz: The Phillies backstop is due to return from his 25-game amphetamine suspension this coming Sunday.

The post NL East Report: Stanton and Freeman Return, Zimmerman Out, Rendon Promoted appeared first on Metsmerized.

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Team News and Notes

Atlanta Braves (12-1)

The Braves continue to plow over any team in their way, as they are thoroughly dominating their opponents and remain in first place in the NL East. The Braves tomahawked the reigning NL East champs in Washington this past weekend, with a clean sweep of their three game series, while outscoring them to the tune of 18-4. Justin Upton continues to lead the club in many of the major offensive categories, batting .340/.404/.900 with eight homers, 12 RBI, and 13 runs scored. On the mound, Paul Maholm has surprised everyone with his incredible start to the season, as he now has run his scoreless streak to 20.1 innings with a record of 3-0. Atlanta was 7-0 this past week, and is currently riding a 10-game winning streak. .

Washington Nationals (8-6)

With a team of budding young stars, such as Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman usually flies under the radar. So far Zimmerman has been the Nats best pitcher, with a record of 3-0, a 2.45 ERA, and one complete game. Rafael Soriano may be a lock for 40 saves this year, as he already has nailed down five just two weeks into the season. Jayson Werth is hot to start the year batting .309/.333/.491 with three home runs and eight RBI. Harper holds the team lead in home runs with five.

Philadelphia Phillies (6-7)

Roy Halladay rebounded from two awful outings to start the year, and tossed eight innings of one-run ball in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Marlins. It was a step in the right direction, but it was still the Marlins, and they did not have Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. Cliff Lee stayed hot to start to the year holding a current ERA of 1.52 through three starts. Cole Hamels fared much better in his third start, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. On offense, Chase Utley is batting .294/.339/.588 as he continues his resurgence. He leads the Phillies in home runs with three and RBI with 12.

Miami Marlins (3-11)

Marlins young prodigy Jose Fernandez remains the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal start the 2013 season. Fernandez followed up his five inning nine strikeout debut with a six scoreless innings in his second outing, and currently owns a 0.82 ERA. The Marlins offense has sputtered to begin the season, and to date, only have two home runs as a team. The injury to Giancarlo Stanton‘s left shoulder has kept him out of the lineup since last Wednesday, although batting .167/.342/.233 before the injury wasn’t helping matters much.

Injury Report

Nationals: Wilson Ramos landed on the DL on April 14 due to a let hamstring strain. He is expected to return when he is eligible to come off at the end of the month. Reliever Christian Garcia is on the DL with partial tear in his forearm tendon.

Braves: Brian McCann (offseason shoulder surgery) was supposed to begin catching in extended spring training games on Wednesday or Thursday, and possibly start a rehab stint next week. However, the veteran backstop felt some tenderness in his wrist and will now be having an MRI instead. Jonny Venters (elbow) remains shut down for four weeks as of April 2, and may be out for the first two months. Brandon Beachy (Tommy John surgery) is still recovering and could return by midseason. Freddie Freeman who was placed on the DL with a strained oblique on April 7, recently took pain free 30 swings and could possibly be due back when he is eligible.

Phillies: Delmon Young (ankle) is progressing nicely and may be able to start a rehab stint as early as next week. His May return remains on target.

Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton has been out since last Wednesday because of a left shoulder contusion. An MRI showed no structural damage, but he is still feeling discomfort, and remains day-to-day and will test his shoulder on Tuesday. Casey Kotchman was placed on the DL, retroactive to April 4, with a strained hamstring. Logan Morrison is currently on the 60-day DL, as he recovers from a torn patella tendon that required surgery last September. Henderson Alvarez and Nathan Eovaldi are both on the DL with right shoulder inflammation. Alvarez threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on April 13, and could return by early May, while Eovaldi remains out indefinitely.

Upcoming Schedules (4/8-4/14) 

Nationals: (@MIA, 4/6-4/17), (@NYM, 4/19-4/21)

Braves: (KC, 4/16-4/117), (@PIT, 4/18-4/21)

Phillies: (@CIN, 4/15-4/17), (STL, 4/18-4/21)

Marlins: (WSH, 4/16-4-17) (@CIN, 4/18-4/21)

Suspensions

Carlos Ruiz: The Phillies backstop has 12 games remaining to serve his 25-game suspension.

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