Frankie Montas struggled yet again on Wednesday, making his place in the Mets’ rotation a point of contention. The newly acquired Montas had a line of 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K (80 pitches, 47 strikes) in his sixth rehab start since returning from a high grade lat strain. This outing actually lowered his ERA in rehab starts this season to 13.19 as he has given up eight home runs in 18 2/3 innings. Montas must be called up to the big league squad, assuming he’s healthy, but it could be hard to justify any major role given his struggles.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Atlanta continues to be a house of horrors for the Mets as they were shut out by Chris Sale for 8 2/3 innings while the Braves clinched the series win. The Mets turned mental lapses, defensive errors and a poor start from Paul Blackburn into a 3-0 deficit early on and could never climb back, resulting in their fifth straight loss. Click here for the full game recap.

The Mets will look to salvage the last game of this set as Clay Holmes (7-3, 2.87 ERA) will face Spencer Strider (1-5, 4.35 ERA) at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday night. 

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN released his MLB Mock Draft 2.0 and has the Mets taking LF Devin Taylor from Indiana with their first pick.

Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Brett Baty wasn’t available last night and is not sure if he will need an IL stint.

Latest MLB News

Dodgers owner Mark Walter is buying majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Tampa Bay Rays are in advanced talks to sell the club to a group led by Jacksonville home builder Patrick Zalupski, per Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. Parties have signed a letter of intent and the price is roughly $1.7B. Click here for more on the potential purchase.

Former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was named Team Puerto Rico’s manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Franmil Reyes, who is now playing in Japan, is being sued for failing to follow through on his earning stake, per Michael McCann of Sportico. When Reyes was a 21-year-old minor league outfielder, he agreed to a player investment contract where he’d give up 10% of annual earnings in exchange for $302K.

Latest On MMO

Francisco Alvarez continues to struggle.

The Rays are in advanced talks about selling the team.

Tyrone Taylor continues to shine!

On This Date in Mets History

2014: Zack Wheeler throws a three-hit complete game shutout, the first shutout of his career.

2004: Mike Cameron tallies his second walk-off hit in as many days.

1989: Dwight Gooden records his 100th career victory, joining Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman in the exclusive Mets club.

Born on This Date: Logan Verrett (1990), Devin Mesoraco (1988), Jacob deGrom (1988), Collin McHugh (1987), Claudio Vargas (1978), Doug Mientkiewicz (1974), Bob Gibson (1957), Bob Aspromonte (1938), Larry Miller (1937).

The post Morning Briefing: Frankie Montas’ Rehab Struggles Continue appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After months of speculation and weeks of negotiating, the New York Yankees finally completed the trade to acquire star outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last night that the trade was finally official as the Yankees will be adding their second and third outfielders of the off-season. Along with acquiring Juan Soto, they will also be getting Trent Grisham and in return will be sending San Diego relief pitcher Michael King, catcher Kyle Higashioka, and a slew of prospects. The Yankees have now added Alex Verdugo, Trent Grisham, and Juan Soto to their outfield to pair with former AL MVP Aaron Judge. 

For the rest of the trade details check out our article on the trade here!

Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Mets owner Steve Cohen met with Mets free-agent target Yoshinobu Yamamoto, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. Andy Martino of SNY gave an update to that report, noting that Stearns was also apart of this meeting as they met Yamamoto and his family. Click here for more information on their meeting!

Pete Alonso‘ agent Scott Boras spoke with the media yesterday and said “I spoke to David, we told him we’re all ears.” in regards to contract extension negotiations between the Mets and their star slugger. You can read more about Boras’ words on Alonso here!

Mark Vientos posted a video of him and Francisco Lindor working on their defense on his instagram page. 

The Mets acquired left-handed pitcher Ryan Ammons from the Texas Rangers following the Rule 5 draft on Wednesday. For all the Mets moves during the Rule 5 draft click here!

Latest MLB News

Former Tigers left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. For more details on the deal, click here!

Jon Morosi of MLB Network came out with a new report on Wednesday that Shohei Ohtani is expected to decide on his free-agent destination before the end of the weekend.

The New York Yankees are going to be meeting with star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the United States on Monday, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

The Cincinnati Reds and third-baseman Jeimer Candelario agreed to a deal pending a physical, per Mark Feinsand of MLB Network.

Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register gave an update to the Dodgers meeting with Shohei Ohtani, saying that the meeting was Friday afternoon at Dodgers Stadium. All stadium tours were postposed or cancelled and the team store was closed so there would be no accidental sightings. 

The St. Louis Cardinals announced that they are bringing back Yadier Molina as the Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations. 

The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that broadcaster Joe Castiglione has won the 2024 Ford C. Crick. Mets TV play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen was also up for the award but fell short for the second year in a row. 

The New York Yankees signed right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training and is expected to compete for a spot in their bullpen, per Jessica Kleinschmidt of The Comeback. 

Former Phillies closer and member of the 400-save club Craig Kimbrel agreed to a one-year, $13 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The deal also contains an option for the 2025 season. 

Isaac Azout of Fish on First reported that the Marlins plan on experimenting with relief pitcher A.J. Puk as a starter in Spring Training. 

The Atlanta Braves and outfielder Leury García agreed to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Right-handed relief pitcher Adam Cimber agreed to a one-year, $1.65 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Cimber was formerly non-tendered by the Blue Jays and is one of three bullpen signings the Angels have made in the past couple of days. 

Bryce Harper is hoping to discuss an extension with the Philadelphia Phillies on a deal that would make him a Phillie for the rest of his career, per Scott Lauber of the Philly Inquirer. 

Latest on MMO

Read about Mets rookie Ronny Mauricio‘s hot start in the winter league!

Check in on all the Mets happenings in Wednesday’s rule 5 draft. 

On This Date in Mets History

2011: Tim McCarver wins the Ford Frick Award for broadcasting excellence, he is one of four Mets broadcasters to win the award.

Birthdays: Pete Alonso (29), Mike Baxter (39)

The post Morning Briefing: Juan Soto Joins Judge, Verdugo In The Bronx appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wednesday night, the lone game on the docket was the Houston Astros going into Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the ALCS. The major headline heading into the game was the return of former Met Max Scherzer, who would make his postseason debut as a Ranger. The last time he was on the mound in October, it did not go well, to say the least, Scherzer went 4 2/3 innings while getting smashed for seven runs on four home runs in game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Padres. Unfortunately for Max, this time was not much better. 

After a clean first inning for Max, which included a strikeout of Michael Brantley, it was all downhill from there. The Astros poured on three runs in the second inning behind a wild pitch and a timely Martín Maldonado 2-run single. Jose Altuve would add on as he put a high fastball over the left field wall, followed by a Mauricio Dubón RBI single in the fourth inning to cap Scherzer’s night.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Max finished the night with four innings pitched and five earned runs on five hits in his first outing in over a month. However, his Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series and are only two wins away from the team’s first World Series appearance in over a decade. 

Latest Mets News

Will Sammon of The Athletic gave an update to the Mets managerial search, as he reported that David Stearns and company would look outside of the organization to fill the role. This rules out names such as Carlos Beltrán and Eric Chavez while making the Craig Counsell rumors more credible. 

Francisco Alvarez has been nominated for the Luis Aparicio Award, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan who was deemed to have the best individual performance in MLB that season. A total of 33 Venezuelans are up for the 2023 award, in which the winner will be announced on October 28 before Game 2 of the World Series. 

Rawlings announced the 2023 Gold Glove finalists on Wednesday afternoon, and Francisco Lindor is the Mets’ lone Gold Glove finalist. Lindor is up against Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies for the NL shortstop Gold Glove award. Francisco is going for his third Gold Glove award overall and his first one as a Met. The winners will be announced on November 5 on ESPN. 

MLB Pipeline released their All-Rookie teams for the 2023 season, and the Mets were well represented as both Kodai Senga and Francisco Álvarez made the cut. Kodai Senga was one of two starting pitchers to make the first team, and Francisco Álvarez made the second team, only being beat out by Yainer Diaz of the Astros for the first team’s catcher position. 

Latest MLB News

On Wednesday, there were major updates to the Boston Red Sox’s search for a general manager following their firing of Chaim Bloom. One of those updates came from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who reported that Boston talked to former Astros general manager James Click, but he has elected not to pursue the job due to family considerations. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote an article detailing how Boston and Cubs executive Craig Breslow have been in advanced discussions on having him take over Boston’s highest job in baseball operations. 

The Major League Baseball Players Trust announced they are holding their second annual “Playmakers Classic” presented by Fanatics. The event supports the organization’s youth development, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives and will be held in Las Vegas this year. Many current and former MLB players will be in attendance, including former Mets Tony Clark, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Capuano, Josh Thole, and others.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block did a full breakdown of the full list of 2023 Gold Glove finalists.

The remembrance of the ’73 Mets continues as Brian Wright looks back at the one and only Rusty Staub. 

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the veteran pitching options for the Mets this upcoming offseason. 

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets traded pitcher Tom Parsons to the Astros for catcher Jerry Grote. Grote was a two-time All-Star and part of the 1969 World Champion Mets.

2006: In the sixth inning of game 7 in the NLCS, Endy Chavez rises above the left field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a two-run home run and proceeds to double off Jim Edmonds at first base. Despite Chávez making one of the greatest grabs in MLB history, a Yadier Molina two-run shot in the top of the ninth put the Cardinals ahead, 3-1. Carlos Beltrán‘s knees would infamously buckle to an Adam Wainwright curveball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, ending the Mets season. 

“He made the catch!”#OTD in #Mets history Endy Chavez made one of the most unforgettable plays in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/IHuY4RwcSQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 19, 2018

Birthdays: Rajai Davis (43), José Bautista (43), Joe McEwing (51), Sandy Alomar (80)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Best Scherzer in Game 3 Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

Francisco Lindor was named the captain of Team Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic. The vote was conducted by the players. The team, led by long-time Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, is headed off to Miami to play exhibition games this week before beginning Pool Play against Nicaragua on Friday.

Latest Mets News

José Quintana has a small stress fracture in his left fifth rib on his left side, the Mets said on Monday. Quintana is headed back to New York to undergo testing. The team does not have a timeline for recovery yet.

Steve Cohen tweeted that he wanted a bigger scoreboard at Citi Field, and the progress at the stadium shows that the scoreboard is much larger than it was previously. Cohen mentioned that at times he would have to squint to see the board in the past.

Here’s a look at the new Citi Field scoreboard.

As Steve Cohen said, he got what he wanted.

📸: @z_mul_ https://t.co/JORGfkFlrD pic.twitter.com/4DXX7AwCsI

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 6, 2023

Latest MLB News

Justin Turner was hit in the face by a pitch from Matt Manning of the Tigers, forcing the 38-year-old to be hospitalized. According to his wife, Turner had to get 16 stitches but didn’t suffer any fractures. He’s being monitored for a concussion, but he’s stable, alert, and in good spirits.

Tommy Kahnle is dealing with biceps tendinitis, a similar issue to what he battled in 2018. Kahnle told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com that he thinks it will take about a month to clear up.

Dodgers All-Star Tony Gonsolin rolled his ankle while coming off the field for infield drills on Monday morning. The team says he has a left ankle sprain and likely won’t pitch as scheduled on Wednesday.

Latest on MMO

Mathew Brownstein sat down with Hall of Famer Greg Maddox for an MMO Exclusive interview.

The MMO staff discusses whether Max Scherzer of Justin Verlander should start Opening Day.

On This Date in Mets History

2010: In a spring training contest against the Nationals, Omir Santos hits an inside-the-park grand slam in the bottom of the second inning. The play started with a ground ball down the third-base line, but the ball gets stuck under the left-field fence, allowing Santos to circle the bases.

2019: The Mets sign two-time All-Star Carlos Gómez to a minor-league contract, bringing him back to his original organization. Gómez is coming off a disappointing season with the Rays in 2018, hitting just .208/.298/.336 with nine homers in 408 plate appearances.

Birthdays: Galen Cisco (87), Mauro Gozzo (57), Jeff Kent (55)

The post Morning Briefing: Francisco Lindor Named Captain of Team Puerto Rico appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets catcher James McCann is continuing to draw trade interest with the St. Louis Cardinals keeping tabs on the veteran, per Robert Murray, an MLB Insider for FanSided.

McCann is widely known to be on the trade block and, according to Murray, he could be an option for the Cardinals who are in the market for a catcher in the wake of franchise great Yadier Molina retiring this offseason. It was reported by MLB Network’s Mark Feinsand on Sunday that the Cardinals were one of the teams considering a trade for Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy. Murphy would be one of the best catching options available this winter.

However, per Murray, the Cardinals could pivot to McCann if they miss out on Murphy and indeed on other catcher targets in both the trade and free agency market. McCann is owed $24 million over the next two years and the Mets could shed some of that salary in any potential trade.

McCann was considered the second best catcher available when he signed a four-year, $40 million contract with the Mets back in 2021. While there were some who would have been preferred to see the front office go after J.T. Realmuto, McCann was seen as a nice consolation prize having slashed a career-high .289/.360/.536 with seven homers and 15 RBI in 2020 for the Chicago White Sox.

With a fielding percentage of .985 and a caught stealing percentage of 33 in 2020, McCann arrived in Queens as a catcher with very good defensive skills behind the plate, as well as being a player who could add some pop to the middle of the lineup. However, the righty has struggled in a Mets uniform and he’s hit just .220/.282/.328 with a combined 13 home runs and 64 RBI in 182 games.

His ugly -0.1 WAR in 2022 sum up McCann’s offensive struggles as a Met and, while he’s largely been solid behind the plate, he’s also struggled with injuries and his contract already looks like a bad one. And, with Tomas Nido having established himself as a dependable catcher and phenom prospect Francisco Álvarez ready to take the majors by storm in 2023, McCann is somewhat expendable.

Again, while Murray noted that McCann is only being viewed as a backup option by the Cardinals at this point and the Mets would need to eat some salary, McCann was linked to the Texas Rangers over the weekend who are also in the market for a catcher and they could look to reunite McCann with Jacob deGrom. It appears as though McCann may be a name to keep an eye on over the coming weeks as the Mets continue to come up with ways they can improve and tweak their roster.

The post Report: James McCann Drawing Trade Interest appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals (19-15) are coming to New York to face the Mets (23-13) in a four-game series. At the time of their last meeting back in April, the Mets were in the middle of their series win streak to start the season and they took two of three games from the Cardinals.

This time, the Mets are coming off their first series loss, after falling to the Mariners 2-1 in a three-game series. There was also some bad blood between these two teams in April, as the Mets took offense to multiple hit-by-pitches and then Nolan Arenado took offense to an inside pitch in his general vicinity.

The Mets were rolling up until their series loss to the Mariners, which broke a streak of ten unbeaten series. The series was tied at one game each when the Mets starting pitching and bullpen faltered in game three. The offense managed to score seven runs, but they ultimately fell to the Mariners 8-7.

Brandon Nimmo continued his solid start to the season. He has an 11-game hitting streak and a 26-game on base streak. He had five hits in 12 at-bats against the Mariners and was our Player of the Week. Starling Marte had a great game in the Mets only win, going 3-for-4 and ending up only a home run short of the cycle. He did strikeout in an inopportune moment on Sunday, in the bottom of the ninth with the tying and winning runs in scoring position, but on the whole he had a solid series.

The bullpen faltered for the Mets against the Mariners. Drew Smith gave up his first run of the season in game one, and Chasen Shreve faltered in games two and three. The Mets offense was able to overcome the bullpen woes in game two, thanks in part to a go-ahead home run off the bat of Patrick Mazeika. But there was no such luck in game three, and the four runs the bullpen gave up after starter Carlos Carrasco exited in the fourth inning proved insurmountable.

The Cardinals are coming into this series off a series win against the Giants. Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt are the Cardinals’ hottest hitters, with slash lines of .312/.374/.600 and .312/.394/.496, respectively. The Cardinals did lose a series to the Orioles prior to facing the Giants, which was surprising, given the Orioles are 14-21 and are in a rebuild.

In the rubber game of their series against the Giants, the Cardinal’s bats exploded, crushing the Giants 15-6. They were able to knock out Giants’ starter Carlos Rodon, scoring eight runs and limiting him to 3 2/3 innings. Goldschmidt and Arenado both homered in the game, as did Yadier Molina. The blowout was large enough that Albert Pujols made his first career appearance as a pitcher, closing out the ninth inning for the Cardinals. He gave up a three-run homer and a solo home run, but still managed to get the final three outs.

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Monday, May 16, 2022: RHP Trevor Williams (0-2, 5.73 ERA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (3-1, 1.49 ERA)

Tylor Megill was supposed to start game one of this series for the Mets, but he was placed on the injured list on Sunday with biceps tendinitis. Williams has been serving as the long man in the bullpen, and will get the spot start in Megill’s place. Williams has pitched in 19 games against the Cardinals and has started 14 of them. He has a 5.64 ERA in those games. The Cardinals have good numbers against Williams, especially Arenado, Goldschmidt, Molina, and Harrison Bader.

Mikolas started against the Mets on April 25. He pitched seven scoreless innings and took a no-decision. Mikolas has only faced the Mets three times in his career, but he has a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings against them. Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil are the Mets with the best numbers against Mikolas, but their numbers are admittedly in a small sample size. Starling Marte has faced Mikolas the most of any of the current Mets, and has not fared well against him (.143/.171/.382 slash line in 35 at-bats).

(UPDATE: Monday’s game was postponed, so this matchup will likely take place Tuesday during the scheduled doubleheader.)

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday, May 17, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Matz (3-3, 6.40 ERA)

Walker pitched well in his last start against the Nationals, tossing seven scoreless innings and giving up only three hits. It was a nice bounce back from his previous start against the Phillies, where he lasted only four innings and gave up seven runs. Walker looked uncomfortable during his start against the Nationals, but insisted after the game that he was fine. Walker has started four games against the Cardinals in his career, and has a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings.

Matz has had a rough go of things since signing with the Cardinals, as his ERA attests. He has tossed a couple of great games, including scoreless efforts against the Brewers and the Royals. But he has also thrown some clunkers, including a two-inning eight run start against the Giants and a three-inning seven run start against the Pirates. Matz pitched against the Mets back in April and gave up four runs in four innings. He was bailed out by the Cardinals offense in that game, and though he took a no decision, the Cardinals won 10-5.

Credit: USA TODAY

Wednesday, May 18, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (4-1, 2.66 ERA) vs. RHP Jordan Hicks (1-3, 4.15 ERA)

Scherzer took a no decision in his last start against the Mariners. Although the Mets ultimately lost the game, Scherzer had a solid outing, giving up one run in seven innings of work. He also pitched well in his game against the Cardinals back in April, tossing seven scoreless innings. Scherzer has pitched well against the Cardinals in his career, with a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts against them.

Hicks is still in the process of converting from a reliever to a starter. His numbers reflect this, as his longest start so far this year has been five innings against the Giants, which is also the longest outing of his career. Hicks has had a couple of scoreless outings this season, but, in general, he has not been as effective of a starter as he has been as a reliever. In his outing against the Mets in April, he went two innings and gave up two runs. In five other appearances against the Mets as a reliever, he has only given up one run.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday, May 19, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (4-2, 2.34 ERA) vs. RHP Dakota Hudson (3-2, 3.06 ERA)

Bassitt started the only game the Mets won against the Mariners in their last series. He pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up one run. He took a no decision because the bullpen faltered behind him. He pitched decently, but allowed too much traffic on the bases by giving up five hits and three walks, which upped his pitch count and ended his night early. In his April start against the Cardinals, Bassitt went six innings and did not give up any runs.

Hudson threw five shut-out innings against the Giants in his last start, which helped put an end to the Giants 6-game winning streak. Hudson has only faced the Mets twice in his career, and he has a 4.91 ERA in 11 innings in those two starts. Starling Marte has faced Hudson the most of any current Mets player, and he has .400 average in 10 at bats with one home run and three RBIs.

Prediction

The Mets and Cardinals will likely split this series. The Cardinals have the clear pitching advantage in game one and will likely win that game, but the Mets have the advantage in games two and three and should be able to take those two games. Game four will be close, and will decide whether the Mets win the series, or settle for a series split.

The post Series Preview: Cardinals Head to Town for First Time Since Brawl appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Finally, after two straight days of rain outs the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are set to finish out their shortened series today in Philadelphia. Game one will start at 12:35 PM ET and game two shortly after game one’s conclusion given it is a single-admission doubleheader.

It is expected Mets fans will get to see both Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt pitch on the same day. Kyle Gibson and Zach Eflin are the projected starters for the Phillies.

Latest Mets News

Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News talked to Francisco Lindor on how he’s handling the pressure in his second season with the Mets.

Angela Barbuti of the New York Post discusses how Julie Megill raised two MLB sons and a USC rower.

The New York Mets announced on Saturday that they have claimed infielder Gosuke Katoh off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Katoh will be assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Tim Healey of Newsday.com says that Mets’ hitting coach Eric Chavez told reporters that players have told him they suspect is MLB is supplying baseballs that fly further for nationally televised games.

Jay Horwitz of the Mets wants fans to send John Stearns prayers and positive thoughts as he battles a tough disease.

Latest MLB News

According to Hector Gomez of z101 Digital, the Baltimore Orioles have signed right-handed pitcher Hector Perez to a minor league contract. It was first reported by Mike Deportes.

The New York Yankees announced that catcher Ben Rortvedt began a rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa on Saturday.

According to Stats Perform, Minnesota Twins’ pitcher Josh Winder is the only MLB pitcher to have 15-plus  strikeouts, no more than one walk, and a 0.00 ERA over his first two career starts since ERA became an official stat in both leagues in 2013.

Per ESPN 690, Red Sox left-handed pitcher Chris Sale has hit a setback in his recovery from a fractured hip.

Per MLB, Yadier Molina has driven in his 1000th run.

According to Jeff Passan, the Seattle Mariners are calling up right-handed pitcher George Kirby. Kirby is a first-round draft pick who played at the AA level this season.

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that they have placed infielder Didi Gregorius on the 10-day injured list (retro-active to 5/5) with a left knee sprain. They have recalled infielder Bryson Stott from Lehigh Valley (AAA).

Per Alex Coffey of the Philly Inquirer, multiple players reported that Bryce Harper held a players-only meeting on Thursday after the Mets defeated the Phillies 8-7 on Thursday night.

According to Eleandro De Oleo of ConLasBasesFull, Dominican Carlos Martinez (El Tsunami) signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Latest on MMO

Sam Klein recaps the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, May 6, which included a seventh straight win for the Low-A St. Lucie Mets.

Brian Wright discusses Mets history from 2016: When Bartolo Ccolon did the impossible and hit a home run as a pitcher.

Carl Aridas discusses the controversy surrounding Angel Hernandez in an opinion piece for MMO.

Shaun Huntley talks about the year 1962 when Topps revealed the first Mets’ team set.

Mojo Hill talks about the success Mets’ hitters have had with two outs. He also discussed New York claiming infielder Gosuke Katoh off waivers. Lastly, he addressed the Mets’ postponements.

Joe D. broke down ESPN’s Cy Young pitcher predictor for 2022.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Sean Gilmartin (32), Adrian Gonzalez (40), John Maine (41)

1961: The New York Mets became official, getting their name, the “Mets” in a ceremony at the Savoy Hilton on May 8, 1961.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Set To Return With Doubleheader appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: USA TODAY

Monday, April 25, 2022 • 7:45 P.M. EST

Busch Stadium • St. Louis, MO

RHP Max Scherzer (3-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (1-0, 1.76 ERA)

SNY • MLB Network • WCBS 880AM • WEPN

The first-place New York Mets take on the St. Louis Cardinals first tonight. The Mets are coming off five consecutive series wins, including taking three of four games from the San Francisco Giants. Now the Mets get their second tough test of the young season.

The five consecutive series wins for the Mets ties the record for the club set by the 2018 team. Anecdotally, the Mets have felt in the games they’ve lost this year, clawing back leads and creating moments late in the game.

Mets Lineup

It’s #ScherzerDay in St. Louis! Here’s the Mets lineup for tonight’s game against the Cardinals. #LGM pic.twitter.com/HAIrUyPgSc

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 25, 2022

The Mets bats will get a look at Miles Mikolas tonight. He has allowed three runs from 13 hits and three walks over 15 1/3 innings in his first three starts. This equates to a 1.76 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 1.043 WHIP, and a 231 ERA+. Mikolas made nine starts last season, totaling 44 2/3 innings, with a 4.23 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.209 WHIP, and a 92 ERA+. Mikolas did not face the Mets last season, and the Mets players have the following career numbers against him:

• Starling Marte 5-32, 2B, 2 BB, 6 K
• Robinson Canó 2-6
• Eduardo Escobar 0-6, 2 K
• Travis Jankowski 0-6
• Pete Alonso 0-4
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, BB, K
• J.D. Davis 0-3
• Jeff McNeil 1-2, BB
• Dominic Smith 0-1, K

Cardinals Lineup

Finally back at Busch! pic.twitter.com/YmRyVxTSm5

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 25, 2022

Max Scherzer will make his fourth start of the season today. In his first three starts, he has tossed 18 innings allowing five runs from 9 hits and seven walks while striking out 23. He has a 2.50 ERA, 2.59 FIP, 0.889 WHIP, and a 150 ERA+. In two starts against the Cardinals last year, he pitched 14 innings and allowed only one unearned run from ten hits and a walk while striking out 22. The Cardinals have the following numbers against Max:

• Paul Goldschmidt 5-32, BB, 16 K
• Yadier Molina 1-17, 2B, 4 K
• Albert Pujols 1-12, 2B, 3 BB, 3 K
• Paul DeJong 4-13, 2B, BB, 5 K
• Corey Dickerson 5-12, HR, K
• Nolan Arenado 2-10, BB, 5 K
• Harrison Bader 2-10, 2B, 4 K
• Tommy Edman 4-9, 2B, HR, 2 K
• Dylan Carlson 0-7, 4 K

Game Notes

• With a win tonight, Max Scherzer would tie the club record for most consecutive wins to start their career as Mets pitcher. He would tie Bob Shaw, who won his first four games for the Mets in 1966.
• Mets are 10-1 when scoring first. That is the best mark in MLB.
• Committing just four errors in 17 games is the team’s best defensive start in franchise history. 
• Starling Marte has played 114 games against St. Louis and is a .292/.350/.424 hitter with 60 runs, 17 doubles, nine triples, eight home runs, 40 RBI, and 24 walks.
• Mets designated hitters are batting .317 (20-63) with 13 runs, five doubles, five home runs, 15 RBI, eight walks, a .403 OBP, and a .635 SLG.

Let’s Go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs Cardinals 7:45 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are heading to St. Louis to face the Cardinals in the final series of their second road trip. The Mets took two of three games from the lowly Diamondbacks in their last series. The Dbacks played a sloppy series, making four errors in the previous two games. The Mets will face stiffer competition in St. Louis, as the Cardinals are one of the league’s most prepared and defensively sound teams. Since the Mets have won their first five series of the season, the hope is that they will continue that streak by taking at least two of the three games against St. Louis. The Cardinals also have not yet lost a series, but they split their third series with the Brewers.

In the Arizona series, the Mets got production from some players struggling to start the year. J.D. Davis and James McCann each hit their first home runs of the season. Davis also went two for three in the final game. In addition, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil continued their solid starts to the season. Lindor got a hit in all three games, and McNeil hit his first triple of the season, going two for three in game two. In Arizona, Pete Alonso cooled off, managing only two hits (both singles) in the entire series.

The starting pitching was also solid in Arizona. David Peterson pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in game one. Tylor Megill showed again that he is an integral part of this rotation, tossing 6 2/3 innings in game three and giving up only two runs. Unlike the starters, the bullpen faltered a bit in the series. In game one, Trevor May gave up a home run late that put the Diamondbacks back in the game, and Edwin Diaz blew his first game of the season. Game two was a bullpen game, and it was the only game the Mets lost in the series.

The Cardinals are coming into the series against the Mets with a 9-4 record, and back-to-back series wins against the Marlins and the Reds. Nolan Arenado has gotten off to a hot start for the Cardinals- he is batting .346/.426/.727 with five home runs and 14 RBIs. Albert Pujols seems to be rejuvenated in his return to the red birds- he has two home runs in eight games and even managed to score from first on a double in the gap hit off the bat of Tommy Edman. Edman is also off to a good start and is batting .313/.400/.563. The Cardinals’ bullpen has been superb, and they have not lost a game yet this season. The Mets will miss Adam Wainwright in this series but should hopefully see some of Yadier Molina and Pujols during this series. While both Molina and Pujols have confirmed that this year is their final season, Wainwright keeps the door open for more.

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Preview

Monday, April 25, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (3-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (1-0, 1.76 ERA)

Max Scherzer could not have written a better script for his first start at Citi Field as a New York Met. He had a no-hitter going through 6 2/3 innings before giving up his only hit of the night. Scherzer likely would not have gotten the chance to complete the no-hitter, as his pitch count was high for so early in the season. But there’s a good chance we’ll see more greatness from him as the season goes on.

This year, Miles Mikolas has started three games for the Cardinals but has only thrown 15 1/3 innings. His low innings total likely explains the two no-decisions he has so far. Mikolas struck out five batters in five innings in his last start against the Marlins.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday, April 26, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (2-1, 3.00 ERA) vs. RHP Jordan Hicks (1-1, 1.29 ERA).

Chris Bassitt’s last start was the only Mets’ loss to the Giants during their four-game series at Citi Field. He gave up five earned runs in his six innings of work. That start was Bassitt’s worst start as a Met so far.  Bassitt has only faced the Cardinals once in his career, in 2019. He did not pitch well, throwing 95 pitches in 3 1/3 innings and giving up three runs. Hopefully, Bassitt can shake off his early inning struggles from the Giants’ game and his previous Cardinals’ game and give the Mets a solid start in game two.

Jordan Hicks has exclusively been a reliever for the Cardinals through his first three seasons. He is transitioning to full-time starter in 2022, though a couple of rainouts have slowed the transition, and he has appeared as a reliever in two of his three games this season. As a reliever, Hicks could throw his fastball as fast as 105 mph. As a newly minted starter, he throws about 22% of his pitches faster than 100 mph. However, because of his injury history and a missed season during 2020 (Hicks has type 1 diabetes and opted out of the season due to health concerns), Hicks is working to build up his arm strength and is deliberately throwing at less than max effort. As a result, he was limited to only three innings in his first outing as a starter.

Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, April 27, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 1.47 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-1, 5.27 ERA)

The Carlos Carrasco Mets fans have been treated so far in 2022, as this is the Carlos Carrasco fans were hoping they were getting in 2021. With his hamstring injuries behind him and his surgically cleaned-up pitching elbow, Carrasco has proven this year that he can still pitch to the back of his baseball card. This season, he has struck out 20 batters and pitched into the eighth inning in his last start against the Giants, making him the first Mets starter to do so this year.

Steven Matz will make his second start against his former team since he was traded from the Mets to the Blue Jays in 2021. In his first start against the Mets in 2021, Matz threw 5 2/3 innings and gave up two runs; he was ultimately the losing pitcher in that outing. Matz’s 2022 season with the Cardinals has gotten a bumpy start. In his first game of the season, he gave up seven runs in three innings against the rebuilding Pirates. He bounced back and threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Brewers in his second start, followed by five innings of one-run ball against the Reds.

Prediction

The Mets will continue their winning ways in St. Louis and take at least two games in the series. The pitching match-ups are favorable, and because of a couple of rainouts and one extra day off for the Cardinals, the Mets’ starters are more stretched out than the Cardinals’ starters. One obstacle to winning two of three might be the Cardinals’ bullpen, but hopefully, the Mets’ hitters can find a way to score some late-inning runs.

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Good morning, Mets fans!

Let’s check out what went on with the Amazins’ and the rest of major league baseball on Wednesday!

Latest Mets News

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have shown interest in free-agent Marwin Gonzalez.

The Mets are reportedly showing significant interest in left-handed 40-year-old pitcher Rich Hill, per WEEI.

As Mike Puma of The New York Post noted, it’s hard to pinpoint where the Mets and Jackie Bradley Jr. are in talks, but JBJ is reportedly seeking a significant contract of up to four-years or more.

The Mets and third baseman J.D. Davis held the first arbitration zoom case ever with the Mets arguing $2.1 million and Davis looking for $2.475 million, per MLB insider Jon Heyman.

The Baseball Night in New York crew talked potential contract extensions for Francisco Lindor and Michael Conforto.

Latest MLB News

The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent second baseman Kolten Wong to a two-year, $18 million contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Baltimore Orioles have signed former dominant ace and Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez to a minor league deal, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman.

As Heyman also reported, relief pitcher Alex Colome is going to the Minnesota Twins on a one-year deal plus an option. Dan Hayes of The Athletic was on the details first: $5.5 million in 2021.

According to Rosenthal, reliever Joakim Soria is signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While the expectation is that he will return to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in free-agent 38-year-old catcher Yadier Molina, according to Heyman.

Latest NL East News

Veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra is going back to the Washington Nationals as a non-roster invitee to spring training, per Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Chase Anderson have agreed to a deal, per Fansided’s Robert Murray.

Looking to solidify their bench, the Phillies have checked in on Shin-Soo Choo, Marwin Gonzalez and Brad Miller, per Heyman.

Latest on MMO

The Los Angeles Angels claimed infielder Robel Garcia off waivers from the Mets, story by Alexis Farinacci of MMO.

Ryan Finkelstein took a look at Mets right-handed reliever and lefty-specialist Jacob Barnes.

On This Day in Mets History

Birthdays: Jeff Gardner (57)

Let’s go Mets!

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