And while the outcome of that particular game wasn’t exactly what any Mets fan would have drawn up, it was a significant moment in the Mets’ season and in our shared experience in watching deGrom as fans. As you may have heard, Jacob deGrom made his return to the major league mound for the Mets on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. She never misses a Rafael Nadal match, no matter what country or time zone he’s playing in. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. She previously covered the Mets for three-and-a-half seasons as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The Mets just need to survive long enough to make it there.ĭeesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. (Both Scherzer and deGrom are lined up to pitch in an epic showdown against the New York Yankees in a two-game series early next week). These next few weeks will give us a glimpse of what the trio of Scherzer, deGrom and Bassitt can accomplish as the calendar flips to the postseason. Right-hander Bassitt has recorded the best ERA (1.72) in the Mets' rotation since July 5, which is when Scherzer came off the IL. And they won’t be alone in that endeavor. Now is the moment for the co-aces to prove they can, most importantly, stay healthy and continue shutting down offenses every fifth day. The Mets (76-43) were always going to go as far as Scherzer and deGrom could take them. But the 22-year-old rookie is not tasked with the burden of ensuring the Mets keep their lead that duty will always rest with the club’s veterans and stars. 2 prospect Brett Baty, who figures to start third base most days while Escobar and Guillorme are sidelined, certainly helps provide a spark and fill a role. The Amazin’s are dealing with a burst of injuries to third baseman Eduardo Escobar (oblique strain), utility man Luis Guillorme (groin strain) and catcher Tomás Nido (non-baseball-related illness). What's more, it’s not just the Mets' rotation that Scherzer and deGrom will be carrying. Mets prospect Brett Baty smashes a home run to right field in his first major-league at-bat to give the Mets a 4-0 lead over the Braves. The 34-year-old has not yet pitched seven innings in a game this season, and he’ll need two or three more starts before he’s considered full bore. DeGrom has the same cutthroat attitude, but at the moment, he’s held back by his pitch limit. Tell Scherzer that the Mets' bullpen is short and taxed, and he’ll aim to pitch eight innings. There are no two better pitchers who could be tasked with carrying a rotation than Scherzer and deGrom, both of whom not only understand the assignment but also thrive in it. Currently, his heater is on average the highest it has ever been, at 99.3 mph. It’s a small sample, but for the sixth consecutive year, his average fastball velocity is up from the previous season. Entering Thursday, deGrom had struck out exactly half of the batters he had faced. New York’s flamethrower has posted a 2.31 ERA and 0.63 FIP in four starts and 23.1 innings this month. Scherzer's 31.4% strikeout rate is in line with his career K numbers and ranks seventh among starters with a minimum of 100 innings pitched.ĭeGrom has been an "alien," per teammate Chris Bassitt, since his Aug. His 0.91 WHIP in that stretch is tied for seventh in the league, better than Marlins right-hander Alcantara, the favorite to win the NL Cy Young award. Scherzer has a 1.82 ERA in nine starts since he returned from the IL, ranked fifth among qualified starters in MLB in that span. The responsibility to get out of this injury mess and maintain the lead in the division now rests on the Mets’ formidable 1-2 punch that has already begun vexing opposing lineups. Their injuries, to some degree, might be the result of the workload and pressure that were dialed up while the aces were out.īen Verlander breaks down why he thinks the New York Mets are a World Series-caliber team, headline by Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Edwin Díaz. Walker, Carrasco and others stepped up in the first half. The pitching depth helps, but the path through this injury bug goes back to the blueprint the Mets designed in the offseason. Their immediate pitching depth includes southpaw Peterson, who is likely to fill in for one of Carrasco or Walker, and right-hander Trevor Williams, the staff’s Swiss Army knife who has made eight starts and 14 relief appearances and is expected to slide back into the rotation. Walker left his start Tuesday in Atlanta after just two innings once his back "locked up." He was diagnosed with back spasms, and it was immediately unclear whether he would be healthy enough to make his next start.Īs unfortunate as losing two consistent starters is for Showalter and the Mets, the club is decently equipped to handle this adversity. Carrasco is sidelined due to an oblique strain and expected to be out for another month or more.
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