The Pittsburgh Pirates officially called up the firsst overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, Paul Skenes, on Wednesday.

The national champion pitcher at LSU has had a meteoric rise through the ranks, from transferring from Air Force to LSU over two years ago to getting the call to the big leagues. Skenes dominated his last year in college and continued that in minor leagues, pitching to a 0.99 ERA, .91 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings of work. The 6-foot-6 flamethrower has become the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect and is the third-ranked prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com.

Skenes is set to make his MLB debut on Saturday against the Cubs at PNC Park. 

Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

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The series finale between the Mets and Cardinals was postponed until August 5. The Mets resume play on Friday at Citi Field against the Braves with José Quintana on the mound. 

David Peterson went 3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1BB, and 7 K on 62 pitches in his third rehab start on Wednesday night. He has not allowed a run in his 8 2/3  rehab innings.

Josh Hejka set a Brooklyn Cyclones franchise record on Sunday by making his 48th pitching appearance.

Mets two-way prospect Nolan McLean hit his fourth home run of the season for High-A Brooklyn as he went 3-for-4 with two RBIs on Wednesday night. McLean has a 1.000 OPS and 2.84 ERA on the season.

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Shohei Ohtani‘s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is pleading guilty to two counts: bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, per Meghann Cuniff. For someone with no criminal history, given Mizuhara’s plea deal, the sentence is between 87 and 108 months.

Ryan Boyajian, a cast member of Bravo’s reality TV series “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” is the bookmaker’s associate to whom Ippei Mizuhara wired money to pay his gambling debts, per Tisha Thompson of ESPN.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed RHP Ryan Pepiot on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 6, with a left lower leg contusion. They brought back RHP Taj Bradley from the 15-day IL in return. 

The Seattle Mariners made a flurry of transactions, including reinstating RHP Eduard Bazardo from the 15-day IL, selecting LHP Kirby Snead from Triple-A Tacoma, and placing LHP Tayler Saucedo on the 15-day IL.

Bat tracking, which measures each player’s average bat speed, squared-up rate, and much more will be coming to Baseball Savant on May 13. 

The Miami Marlins placed RHP Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. LHP Braxton Garrett was reinstated from the IL in a corresponding move.

The Texas Rangers acquired OF Robbie Grossman in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, sending RHP Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa to Chicago in return. Former Met Kolton Ingram was DFA’d to make room on the roster for Texas. 

Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic wrote an article about why the Perfect Game, Fanatics deal has agents raising concerns about amateur player rights.

Forty-four-year-old free-agent LHP Rich Hill still plans to sign with a big league club during the season, per Ian Browne of MLB.com.

The San Francisco Giants placed OF Jorge Soler on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 5, with a right shoulder strain. The club recalled OF Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento to take his spot. 

Latest on MMO

Pete Alonso broke out of his slump in a big way!

Learn about the Mets’ No. 9 prospect, Jeremy Rodríguez.

See what MMO readers had to say about the Knicks big Game 2 win last night!

On This Date in Mets History

1984: Joe West ejects two cameramen who were showing a replay to Bobby Valentine and Mike Torrez of a call made at home plate by West.

Birthdays: Aaron Harang (46)

The post Morning Briefing: First Overall Pick Paul Skenes Set to Make Debut appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets finished up their west coast trip on Wednesday afternoon on a high note as they salvaged the last of three games against the San Francisco Giants.

After taking the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in impressive fashion, it seemed as though the Mets would be able to eclipse .500 during their west coast swing. However, a dormant offense which carried from the last game in LA to the first two games in the bay, had the Mets fighting for a .500 trip.

Despite losing the series, the Mets offense broke out in a big way en route to an 8-1 win in the last game of a three-game set against the Giants. A struggling Francisco Lindor led the way, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a pair of two-run bombs. Tyrone Taylor followed suit as he added three RBIs of his own, including a home run, to help the Mets come away with a win. Click here for a full breakdown of Wednesday’s game!

The Mets come back to New York for a seven-game homestand starting Friday, where they’ll play two NL Central teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

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J.D. Martinez had two hits and two RBIs in Syracuse last night and is expecting to make his Mets debut Friday. Click here for more on his expected return.

The Mets and Seymour Weiner want you to come to dollar hot dog night on April 30 against the Chicago Cubs!

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell told “670 The Score” that OF Cody Bellinger has a fractured rib and will be going on the IL. Their top prospect and former Mets prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, is being called to take his place.

The San Francisco Giants placed Blake Snell on the 15-day IL, retroactive to April 23, with a left adductor strain and called up RHP Landen Roupp from Triple-A Sacramento. Snell was slated to start against the Mets on Wednesday. 

Boston Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello hit the 15-day IL, retroactive to April 21, with right lat tightness. Boston called up RHP Zack Kelly from Triple-A Worcester to take his roster spot.

The St. Louis Cardinals optioned LHP Zack Thompson and OF Jordan Walker to Triple-A Memphis and called up INF José Fermín and LHP John King from Triple-A.

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams will be getting an injection in his elbow and will be shut down for seven days after feeling discomfort in his elbow in his last start, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com.

The Colorado Rockies signed RHP Tyler Danish to a minor league contract, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com.

Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier was put on the 10-day IL with left hip flexor inflammation. A top-10 prospect in their system, Addison Barger, was called up and made his MLB debut in left field.

The Cincinnati Reds claimed OF Peyton Burdick off waivers from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. They also transferred LHP Alex Young to the 60-day IL.

The Washington Nationals placed OF Lane Thomas on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 sprain of the left MCL and recalled IF Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester. 

The Texas Rangers claimed LHP Kolton Ingram off waivers from the New York Mets, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online.

Yoenis Céspedes‘ half-brother, Yoelqui Céspedes, signed with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker told reporters that when A.J. Puk returns it will be out of the bullpen, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Puk struggled in a starter role this season after excelling in the bullpen in 2023.

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Ricky Keeler writes that the Luis Severino signing is paying early dividends for the Mets.

Nick Rucco breaks down one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, Dom Hamel. The right-hander tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts on Wednesday night for Triple-A Syracuse. 

J.D. Martinez is expected to make his long-awaited Mets debut!

On This Date in Mets History

2012: David Wright passes Darryl Strawberry for the franchise lead in RBI as he hits a two-run home run against the Marlins.

1996: José Vizcaíno sets a new Mets franchise record by collecting a hit in his ninth consecutive at-bat.

Birthdays: Trevor Williams (32), Brad Clontz (53), Blaine Beatty (60)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Finish .500 on West Coast Trip appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza on Saturday reported that Francisco Alvarez is headed to the injured list. The Mets’ catcher is scheduled to have surgery on his thumb to repair a torn ligament. Starling Marte said the players were informed Alvarez will be out for about six to eight weeks.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com added that Tomas Nido was called up and Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.

Francisco Alvarez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

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According to Bobby Nightengale Jr. of The Star Tribune, Twins relief pitcher Daniel Duarte is out for the season and scheduled for a May 8 surgery with Dr. Keith Meister.

Per Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, MLB scouts are evaluating left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara with the expectation that he could be posted after the 2024 NPB season. Ogasawara has a 2.61 ERA over the course of 20 2/3 innings pitched this season for the Chunichi Dragons.

Morosi also reported that Max Scherzer is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Wedensday.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced that they traded right-handed pitcher Mitch White to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.

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Chris Bello recaps Francisco Lindor’s Friday night performance that included a home run from the left side.

Matt Mongin recaps the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, April 19.

Chris Bello discusses the Mets’ announcement that Alvarez will require surgery for a torn ligament in his thumb, forcing him to head to the injured list.

Nick Rucco takes a deep dive into the Mets’ No. 16 prospect Jacob Reimer.

Evan Mazza recaps the Mets’ sixth straight win that came behind a Starling Marte home run and a great performance by the Mets’ bullpen.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Ronny Paulino (43), Jeff Keppinger 44), Chris Donnels (58), Jesse Orosco (67), Randy Sterling (73), Greg Harts (74)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Lose Alvarez For Six to Eight Weeks appeared first on Metsmerized.

Of course, as we made clear last week, results don’t matter in spring training, but there were a couple of worrying trends that emerged for the Mets over the past few days.

Let’s take a look at those, as well as some positives, in our latest edition of spring training 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 Up

Nimmo’s Return

Following an injury-hit 2021 season, in which he featured in just 92 games, Brandon Nimmo took the calculated decision to ease himself into spring training action. The result? The ability to play in 151 games in 2022. He followed that up with a career-high 152 games played and 24 home runs in 2023. As such, it is no surprise that Nimmo took the same approach this year. Why fix what isn’t broken? Nimmo’s actual 2024 spring training debut on Sunday was hardly impressive if you look at the box score – 0-for-2 – but the fact he was in the lineup was the most important and noteworthy fact. The outfielder has established himself as an important leadoff hitter for this team, and his continued good health will be crucial if the Mets are to be remotely competitive in 2024.

Brett Baty. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerzied

Showing Out

We talked ad nauseam this winter about the importance of Brett Baty having a strong spring. With third base up for grabs, the onus was on Baty to step up and answer some critics after a tough 2023 season. Therefore, Saturday was just what the doctor ordered for the 24-year-old. He went yard against the Marlins after connecting with an 89 mph slider from Roddery Muñoz to get the Mets on the board. It was a big moment for Baty and one he must now build upon for the rest of spring training. All things considered, there is no doubt that this upcoming season is career-defining for Baty, and a strong spring showing will lay the solid foundations for a productive campaign.

Hope For The Future

Saturday was a noteworthy day for the Mets in a multitude of ways. Not only did Baty have a good day at the plate, but several pitching prospects showed out and offered glimpses of hope for the future, both short and long-term. Christian Scott, the top pitching prospect in the system, allowed one hit, one run and one walk in an inning of work, but did induce five swing-and-misses against some established bats.

Mike Vasil, who may be the most major league-ready pitching prospect in the system, did give up a leadoff double but recovered by retiring three straight batters on the way to recording a scoreless seventh inning. And, last but not least, José Buttó, who is in contention for the final rotation spot, appeared in a relief role and struck out two in a scoreless inning. All in all, it was a good day for some potential Mets of the future.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

3 Down 

More Injury Woes

Man, the Mets just can’t get through a week of spring training without suffering more bad news on the injury front, can they? Already down Kodai Senga, the front office and coaching staff will now be without position players Jeff McNeil and Joey Wendle for a hot minute, at least. McNeil, an important cog in the lineup, has left biceps soreness and has been shut down from hitting for a few days. As for Wendle, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the team earlier in the offseason, he’s dealing with a sore right shoulder. Now, it is important to note that neither McNeil nor Wendle will be out for long but, still, missing any amount of time in spring training due to injury is hardly ideal.

Goodbye For Now 

The Mets made their first round of spring training cuts on Sunday. RHP Dominic Hamel, RHP Eric Orze, RHP Cam Robinson, RHP Christian Scott, RHP Mike Vasil, LHP Danny Young, OF Drew Gilbert, C Kevin Parada and INF Jett Williams were reassigned to minor league camp. LHP Kolton Ingram and INF Luisangel Acuña were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Of course, cuts are all part of spring training, and we’ll see some of these prospects in the Spring Breakout showcase later this month. However, at a time when excitement is hardly in grand supply for Mets fans, shedding some of the aforementioned prospects will ensure the rest of spring training is one long, hard-to-watch grind.

Downward Trajectory

The rain wasn’t the only thing to dampen the Mets’ spirits on Sunday. Adrian Houser laid a Godzilla-sized egg on the mound. After throwing two scoreless innings in his first start of spring training, Houser followed that up with a rough outing against the Astros. He allowed three runs on four hits and walked one across 1 2/3 innings. The last thing you want to see at this point of spring training is one of your starters taking backward steps. As a result, the Mets will hope it was just one bad day at the office for Houser, who figures to be an integral part of this rotation.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Cuts, Struggles and Spring Debuts appeared first on Metsmerized.

Additionally, the Mets announced that INF Luisangel Acuña and LHP Kolton Ingram were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Of the position players above, Acuña has led the bunch as far as performance goes. He went 3-for-8 at the plate with two walks. Williams showed flashes as well, going 2-for-6 at the dish with a stole base. Gilbert struggled going 1-for-9 with two strikeouts while Parada registered one hit over five at-bats.

Each are among the best position player prospects in the Mets’ system. It’ll be another very important year in each of their respective developments.

As far as the pitchers go, both Orze and Robinson have thrown two innings, respectively. They allowed multiple hits and Orze allowed two runs to Robinson’s one. Both Vasil and Scott have gotten an inning each, Scott allowed one run on one hit and Vasil posted a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Meanwhile, both Young and Ingram have not appeared in a spring game yet.

Young was signed to a minor-league deal by the Mets after electing free agency from the Atlanta Braves last season. The 29-year-old was impressive in a short major-league stint in 2023 posting a 2.42 FIP and 11 strikeouts across 8 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He has a career 3.90 ERA in the minor leagues.

Meanwhile, Ingram was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers in February. He made his major-league debut last year with the Angels, allowing eight hits and seven runs across 5 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old, who is listed at five-foot-nine, has a career 3.17 ERA in the minor leagues.

Meanwhile, Scott and Vasil are valued as top pitching prospects in the Mets’ system. Vasil struggled at the Triple-A level after strong season in Double-A last year. Meanwhile, Scott had a meteoric rise of such, posting a 2.57 ERA and 107 strikeouts across 87 2/3 innings of minor-league ball in 2023.

Note, each of the above players can still play in a spring game. The moves just basically means they will be working out in the minor league camp rather than with the others that remain in the major league camp.

These are just the first of many cuts to come in the following weeks.

The post Mets Announce First Wave Of Major League Camp Cuts appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today mentioned that the Mets not only are expected to “strongly pursue” but could be the favorites to sign Juan Soto in the 2024-25 offseason. It’s widely expected that the 25-year-old star outfielder will hit free agency after the 2024 season.

Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

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Francisco Álvarez collected two hits, including a two-run homer, as the Mets collected their first win of spring training in a 3-1 final against the Astros. José Butto tossed two shutout innings, and Austin Adams, Yohan Ramírez, Cole Sulser, Tyler Jay, and Junior Santos all turned in scoreless outings. Tyrone Taylor also contributed two hits and scored two runs.

The Mets are in West Palm Beach today to take on the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. Max Kranick will make his first start in Grapefruit League play against 2023 All-Star Josiah Gray. The game will not be televised.

The Mets moved David Peterson on the 60-day IL on Sunday, creating room for lefty Kolton Ingram, who was claimed off waivers from the Tigers. Peterson is expected to be out until the middle of the season after undergoing hip surgery in December. Ingram has made just five big league appearances, all of which came with the Angels in 2023. He will now battle for one of the final spots in the Mets’ bullpen.

Kodai Senga received a PRP injection in his shoulder back in New York on Sunday. He is expected to be shut down for at least three weeks before being re-evaluated. The best-case scenario for Senga would be a late-April return to the majors, though it seems more likely he will be back in May. Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted that the team is anxious about how much time Senga will miss.

Nightengale also mentioned that the Mets could be the favorites to sign Juan Soto in the 2024-25 offseason. It’s widely expected that the 25-year-old star outfielder will hit free agency after the 2024 season.

Latest MLB News

The Cubs have re-signed Cody Bellinger to a three-year contract worth $80 million. The deal also contains opt-out clauses after the first and second year of the deal. The former MVP is slated to make $30 million in 2024 and 2025. Bellinger enjoyed a bounce-back campaign in 2023, batting .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, 20 steals, and 97 RBIs, earning a Silver Slugger and finishing 10th in NL MVP voting.

The Cubs have also signed former All-Star first baseman Garrett Cooper to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Cooper split time between the Marlins and Padres in 2023, batting .251/.304/.419 with 17 homers in a career-high 123 games.

The Dodgers are expected to hire Matt Kemp in an advisory role for the organization. Kemp was a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover and Silver Slugger for the Dodgers, playing for the team for a decade.

The Angels have released catcher Francisco Mejia. Angels skipper Ron Washington said the team wanted to give their young catchers more playing time this spring, which ultimately led to Mejia’s release.

Latest on MMO

Ross Bentley looks at five Mets who could make or break the team’s 2024 season.

James Villani recaps the Mets’ victory over the Astros on Sunday.

Mojo Hill breaks down Francisco Álvarez’s strong performance in his spring training debut.

On This Date in Mets History

2007: MLB 07: The Show is released with David Wright on the cover. Wright remains the only Mets played to grace the cover of any game in the series.

Birthdays: Kevin Plawecki (33)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Could Be Favorites For Juan Soto In 2025 appeared first on Metsmerized.