TL;DR
The Mets finished off a two-game sweep of the defending World Series Champions–just eight months too late, guys!–after beating the Royals 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon. The Mets belted three dingers and Noah Syndergaard was good, if not his usual dominant self, as the team gutted this one out. Oh, and before, during, and after the game there was (mostly bad) injury news.
The Big Finish
With the game tied up at three in the sixth, it came down to the most unlikely Met to give his team the lead. That’s right, left fielder Matt Reynolds was up to the plate after starting his first professional game in the outfield. He took a 1-0 pitch from Joakim Soria over the wall in right-center for his first MLB home run, and that would be the difference as the Mets bullpen held on over the final three innings.
Has he now Wally Pipp-ed Michael Conforto in left field? Who knows? (No.) But at this point it wouldn’t be completely surprising to see him get more outfield time in the next few days. The Mets are weird.
Haha Don’t Worry Everything Is Fine …
Before Reynolds gave the Mets a lead they’d hold for the last third of the game, there was more than one piece of bad news. In the fifth inning, (pending) All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes grimaced on a swing during his fifth-inning plate appearance, and it turns out that he has a mild sprain of his left wrist. He’ll miss a couple of days after a cortisone shot, but should avoid the disabled list. (Though we all know that the Mets’ injury proclamations tend to err on the side of hopeful.)
Cespedes has been the Mets’ best and most consistent offensive producer by far. He was two-for-two with a double and a walk in the game prior to being pulled, and has a dominant .347 True Average with 18 homers on the season thus far. If he misses significant time, the already-lame Mets offense will be well and truly hobbled.
… Okay, That’s Bad But …
At least the Mets still have a very good pitching staff, anchored by All-Universe starter Noah Syndergaard, right? Syndergaard got off to a strong start against the Royals, but he wasn’t the dominator we were used to seeing. He offered up a quality start–three runs over six innings and 91 pitches–but he gave up eight hits and only struck out four batters. He also threw two wild pitches and gave up a homer to Cheslor Cuthbert, a notorious leading indicator that something is wrong.
After being pulled after the sixth, word came out of the worst possible news: Syndergaard was feeling pain in the back of his pitching elbow. As the Mets faithful moved into full Panic City mode, the team gave Thor an MRI that revealed no structural damage, and announced that he, like Cespedes, would avoid the disabled list. This is another close call with elbow injury, one of many since the start of the 2014. From BP Mets’ own Mike Vorkunov:
This is 2nd straight month he’s visiting the doc about his elbow. Syndergaard experienced similar symptoms last time https://t.co/Z5r9it3ccI
— Mike Vorkunov (@Mike_Vorkunov) June 22, 2016
This is at least the 4th time since May 2014 that Noah Syndergaard has gone for an MRI on his elbow. He went on AAA DL then for that too.
— Mike Vorkunov (@Mike_Vorkunov) June 22, 2016
Obviously this situation requires further monitoring, as there have been worries swirling for quite a while that Syndergaard’s elbow is not entirely healthy. A substantive injury to the Mets’ ace would dramatically change the face of this 2016 season.
… Really? Are You Kidding Me?
But don’t worry since Zack Wheeler is on his way back from Tommy John surgery! Sort of. Actually, Wheeler was reported as experiencing a setback on his recovery, and received a cortisone shot for nerve irritation in his surgically-repaired right elbow, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Again, it sounds like the Mets may have dodged a bullet here, but this serves as a useful reminder that Tommy John surgery is not a flawless recovery for every pitcher. I know, you don’t need another reminder. I get it.
Everything Else of Note
Asdrubal Cabrera hit his eighth homer of the season, helping chase Royals starter Danny Duffy from the game in the fifth inning. While the stats don’t back up Keith Hernandez’s assertion that he’s been a great defensive shortstop during his tenure in New York (BP’s FRAA has him about two runs to the negative, and Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating paint a similar picture), Cabrera has proven a solid, consistent lineup presence. His .281 True Average is close to a career-high, his ability to stay healthy amid a wave of injuries is heartening, and he’s already been worth about 1.4 Wins Above Replacement player this season.
Duffy looked bad in his start for the Royals after some good signs earlier in the season, but he still managed to strike out eight in four-and-two-thirds innings.
The Mets bullpen looked very sharp during the final three innings, as Jerry Blevins, Addison Reed, and Jeurys Familia combined for two strikeouts, one hit allowed, and no walks over those last frames. Blevins eliminated two right-handed hitters (Brett Eibner and Whit Merrifield), Reed was his usual solid self, and Familia looked as good as he had all season. The Mets closer saw his sinker average 97.5 miles per hour, and recorded his 24th save of the season.
The Future Is Unwritten
While we await more news on the team’s damaged goods, the Mets have an opportunity to avenge their recent sweep against the Braves. They’ll head to Atlanta for a four-game load before moving north to face Washington at the start of next week. Tonight’s game will see a battle of Matts–Harvey vs. Wisler–but the Mets will once again play short-handed. Yoenis Cespedes will miss at least a few days after a cortisone injection, leaving the Mets without a capable center fielder. Perhaps we’re closing in on the Triple-A-crushing Brandon Nimmo’s debut?
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports