As the Mets join the rest of the league’s thirty teams in the starting blocks, they wait to see if a key arm will be with them from the jump. Start Marcus Stroman Having experienced calf tightness that could prevent him from taking his early turn in the rotation, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was one of those who reported on Twitter.
The Mets have yet to commit to making a decision on Stroman, with the captain Luis Rojas indicating that the right is considered day by day at this time. Even if Stroman slows down a bit, the team may wish not to put him on the 15-day disabled list. That would mean missing almost a quarter of the truncated season.
Stroman is of central importance to Mets personnel who will run out Zack Wheeler (free agency) and Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John Surgery) in 2020. There is still a lot of talent in the rotation mix, but the loss of those two prominent rights has put Stroman in an even brighter light.
Last year, Stroman spun in 184 1/3 innings of 3.22 ERA in more than 32 starts, the final eleven after a trade to his native New York. If he can provide something similar to that kind of production in 2020, or at least match the 3.77 ERA he posted with the Mets, then Stroman could help push the club to the limit in what is likely to be a hotly contested postseason run. . He’s also pitching to prepare for his first trip to the open market at the end of the season.
There does not seem to be any cause for great concern here. But the situation highlights the delicate balance that the teams will face. For one thing, the Mets will want to get Stroman to the mound as soon as possible to maximize his impact. On the other hand, pushing too hard and suffering a setback could easily wipe out much of the campaign.
It will be interesting to see how the Mets end up handling pitching assignments if Stroman remains on the ice for a while. With Walker lockett already marginalized, the team could resort to an alternative such as Corey Oswalt. You could also try using Oswalt, Erasmo Ramirez, Stephen Gonsalves, and / or other launchers capable of booting into some sort of reed arrangement. The most intriguing thing, perhaps, is the idea of colliding with the prospect David petersonAlthough that would mean starting his watch on duty and clearing a spot on the 40-man list.
