The Mets are in survival mode on the mound...
Plus, the Mets won a series from the Brewers in a low-scoring affair on Thursday
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What’s up with the Mets? 🎆
The Mets won their series against the Brewers by taking the finale 3-2 (box)
LHP David Peterson bounced back with a strong outing. He allowed two runs, one earned, in 6.2 innings.
RHP Ryne Stanek was brilliant in 1.1 innings of work by striking out three of the four batters he faced
LF Brandon Nimmo got the Mets on the board first with a home run in his second straight game
DH Starling Marte went 2-for-4 with a run out of the leadoff spot
RF Juan Soto went 2-for-4 with an RBI - he was named the National League’s Player of the Month for June
Roster Moves 📰
The Mets signed RHP Zach Pop to a major league contract
RHP Austin Warren returned to Triple-A after serving as the 27th man in the doubleheader but was then recalled to the major league team
RHP Justin Hagenman recalled from Triple-A
RHP Rico Garcia was selected to the major league roster
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Paul Blackburn (right shoulder impingement) placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to June 30
RHP Dedniel Núñez (right elbow sprain) placed on 15-day IL
OF Jesse Winker (right oblique strain) went 1-for-2 with a run, RBI, and two walks in his latest rehab appearance with Binghamton
Play of the Game 🌟
Brandon Nimmo jumpstarted the offense in the second game of the doubleheader with a grand slam, and he got the Mets started once again with a home run in the second inning. With the team scuffling these past few weeks, the team needed someone to step up, and it seems to be Nimmo who finally righted the ship. They have another tough task ahead facing the Yankees, but finally winning a series has this team feeling good heading into the Subway Series.
Stats of the Day 📊
Over his last 34 games, Brandon Nimmo is hitting .309/.365/.551 with six doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBI with 42 hits and 20 runs scored
Juan Soto has 11 RBI over his last 12 games and he is batting .350 (14-for-40) with a 1.258 OPS over that span - since May 30, Soto is hitting .327/.474/.701 with four doubles, 12 home runs and 23 RBI with 29 walks, 35 hits, and 28 runs scored, a span of 32 games
Over his last 15 games, Starling Marte is batting .309/.361/.418 with three doubles, a home run and five RBI with 17 hits and six runs scored
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Nolan McLean (No. 4 prospect, Triple-A): 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 10 K
OF Drew Gilbert (No. 9 prospect, Triple-A): 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR
1B Ryan Clifford (No. 6 prospect, Double-A): 1-for-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, BB
RHP Wellington Aracena (Single-A): Florida State League Pitcher of the Month for June
RHP Jonah Tong (no. 2 prospect, Double-A): Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for June
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL PPD | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (50-38) vs. Yankees (48-39)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Justin Hagenman (0-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (1-1, 8.16 ERA)
When: 3:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY, MLBN
The Mets are in survival mode - where can they find pitching? ✍️
The Mets took two more massive hits to their pitching staff on Thursday when they lost both Paul Blackburn and Dedniel Núñez to the injured list.
Blackburn will miss time due to a shoulder impingement. He had underwhelmed since he returned from the injured list in early June after missing the first part of the year while he recovered from off-season spinal leak surgery and a sore knee during his rehab, and now he will miss an indefinite period of time as he tries to figure out how to navigate this latest hardship.
Núñez likely has a more significant injury. He reported soreness in his UCL area after throwing a fastball during his outing on Wednesday night against the Brewers, and Carlos Mendoza hinted that this could have been the final blow towards a second Tommy John surgery for Núñez, who underwent the procedure in 2021.
Both are major blows to both the rotation and the bullpen. Blackburn had been struggling, but he was one of the few healthy pitchers that remained in the rotation, which means only David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Frankie Montas are the only starters left. Sean Manaea’s return is relatively imminent, and Kodai Senga should be back around the All-Star break, but as of right now, the Mets are basically out of pitchers and need major league-competent bodies for both the rotation and the bullpen.
David Stearns said on Thursday his preference would be to not leverage top prospects for a spot start or to fill their voids on the pitching staff, but he may not have a choice in the short term. If the Mets do choose the prospect route for Sunday, it won’t be Nolan McLean since he just pitched on Thursday, and Blade Tidwell got sent back down after earning his first career win against the Brewers and was not brought back as an injury replacement (he can’t pitch for five days anyway).
That leaves Brandon Sproat as an option, who pitched well in his last start but overall has struggled in Triple-A.
Also, they need at least one arm for their bullpen, including a big left-handed reliever to replace Danny Young and AJ Minter, something they’ve been unable to do since they lost them earlier in the year.
No matter how today plays out or what they decide for Sunday, the Mets may have to give an extended look at least one of their top pitching prospects, and they unquestionably have to go out to the trade market to solve their arms issues, which are only growing by the day. There’s just nobody left to help from within, and they can’t realistically expect one or more of their top pitching prospects to save them.
For now though, the Mets will have to fill the void creatively from within until they can get people in from the outside. Manaea’s return will help, but Senga is probably still ten days away at best, and even so, the Mets need at least one other major league arm. Justin Hagenman is starting game one of the Subway Series, and they currently do not have a starter listed for the finale, which means they might need to go with a bullpen game.
They’re in survival mode. They may have to hit the trade market earlier than anticipated before they lose control of their season.
Again, help is on the way, but the bad news is that they have no room for error. Both Stearns and Mendoza will need to find a way to survive until the rotation is whole once again.
Around the League 🚩
Cleveland RHP Luis Ortiz is under investigation for a violation of the league’s gambling policy and was placed on paid leave
Dodgers 3B Max Muncy’s MRI revealed no structural damage on his injured knee but he is still expected to miss around six weeks of time
Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt exited his start early with forearm tightness - the Yankees lost to the Blue Jays 8-5, who took over first place from New York in the AL East
Nationals outfielder James Wood will join Cal Raleigh and Ronald Acuña Jr. in the 2025 Home Run Derby
Tough time. Good thing we gained so much early altitude.
Butto on 15 day IL retro to July
Recall Chris Devenski from Syracuse