Jed Lowrie returned to Mets camp on Friday but won’t see any action due to a sore left leg, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. The Mets plan on being cautious with Lowrie, whose results from an MRI came back with an official diagnosis of a “capsule strain” in his left knee, per Mike Puma of the NY Post (via Twitter).
Deesha Thosar of the NY Daily News adds (via Twitter) that there is no timetable for Lowrie’s return, and there’s at least a chance he won’t be ready for Opening Day. While the Mets prefer Lowrie in the infield at the start of the season, the bigger concern is that the injury does not linger long into the year. Lowrie, 35 in April, comes to New York on the heels of a career year in Oakland where he hit .267/.353/.448, good for a 120 OPS+. After struggling to say on the field early in his career, Lowrie appeared in over 150 games in each of the last two seasons.
The Mets pray the injury is not a harbinger of things to come, but it’s certainly a reminder that this Mets squad is going to have to deal with durability concerns throughout the grinding 162-game schedule, per Puma. Todd Frazier missed time with hamstring and rib cage injuries last season, and health remains the biggest question mark around backstop Wilson Ramos. Robinson Cano has had a fairly remarkable run of health, but even he will be monitored closely as he enters his age-36 season. The good news for the Mets is they have more depth than in year’s past, with Jeff McNeil able to move around the diamond and Adeiny Hechavarria, J.D. Davis, Dilson Herrera and Gavin Cecchini in the infield mix as well.
walls17
The Mets curse begins
RunDMC
Quarantine the rotation.
EasternLeagueVeteran
Hahaha
GiantsX3
That’s hilarious
jakec77
I dont know if it’s really all that true that the Mets have more injury problems than other teams.
A couple of years ago they were definitely badly hit.
But other than that year, have they really been any worse than everyone else? (Not counting David Wright)
I think the perception is fueled by a couple of different factors. One, the Mets fanbase is just overwhelmingly negative and pessimistic.
Two, the Mets have for the past few seasons tied their team to starting pitching, which of course is exactly the most likely place for injuries to hit.
Three, the Mets haven’t done a great job at having depth to replace injured players. One of the reasons I liked the Lowrie signing in the first place was he wasn’t really needed in terms of the starting lineup, but he gives the manager flexibility to cover guys when they are hurt or in need of a day off.
And while I like the Lowrie signing, I’m not really convinced the Mets have done enough. What does the OF look like if either Conforto or Nimmo go on the DL (prior to Cespedes returning). The Mets know, or at least should know, that they are going to need 30+ starts from pitchers other than the nominal starting five in the rotation (and that’s assuming average to normal luck), are they really covered there?
From afar, it seems like the Dodgers are dealing with injuries at least as much as the Mets, but they have had the players to step in. That’s the big difference.
xXabial
angels too
El Kabong
jakec77, Great point about the Dodgers. This is why the Mets are badly in need of a rebuild. They don’t have the organizational depth to survive injuries like the good teams do. A couple key guys get hurt and they are toast.
Boogaloo
The answer is simple.
Mets fans run their mouths about how good the team will be every year.
Then when the team turns out to be horrible, like most objective people told them,they blame injuries because that’s easier than admitting they were just wrong.
Just take a look across town last year.
Sanchez, Bird, Torres, Drury, Judge, Hicks, Tanaka, Frazier, Kahnle, Montgomery, Warren and others were all hurt last year.
They still win 100 games.
Mets fans will never admit they are wrong, they have no shame.
resident
Three catchers in two days is not an illusion.
mikeyank55
Hey resident-I suggest that you are giving them too much credit describing them as three catchers in two days.
One couldn’t catch. Another one couldn’t throw. The third couldn’t hit.
JPADA
Bummer.
pinstripes33
how can certain teams like this consistantly have injuries after injuries season after season and other clubs seem to have not nearly as many…
hiflew
Probably a combination of poor training and bad luck.
fs54
Guy just signed with Mets so we cannot even pin it on the team. This is just unfortunate. Wish him speedy recovery.
Perksy
All teams have injuries and many of them. But the team that you are a fan of will always be more magnified since you follow them closely.
mikeyank55
What do you mean that you can’t pin it on the team?
Their front office signed him to a contract, didn’t they?
Thor-DarkKnight-CaptainAmerica-16
Quite sure this guys knee was bothering him when he signed his contract.
mikeyank55
Bingo!
It didn’t show up in the physical because the Mets doctor was busy and he had a nurse administer the test.
Wilpon’s saved $500
antibelt
Scouting, analysis of players is a significant component to it. Many players are identified as high risk players, ie hard throwing pitchers with smaller physiques. Up to teams whether they pursue those guys and run the risk.
mikeyank55
Hey anti-here’s a simple formula:
Avoid signing or trading for old players who can’t find another home and certainly will find ways for DL vacations on a losing team.
matt41265
every year
imgman09
This has been the biggest thing with Lowery in his career,his health, hmm? Kinda like the Mets Starters and Cespedes,welcome to the muts!
DarkSide830
nunbers on number of Mets players hitting the DL this year? is there a vegas over/under?
xabial
I playfully tease:
Don’t the Mets sign or trade for like…so many INF?
Try to poach Jose Iglesias from the Reds; Signing MiLB deal
Gwynning's Anal Lover
Just like last year.
bobtillman
Jed’s kind of a GM nightmare. A player whose past (and current) injury history dictates a part-time roll, but whose performance last year suggests a full time one. And you have to pay for THAT part of the equation.
It was a poor sign, and I say that being of Lowrie’s biggest fans, from his time in Boston. For a team that’s been watching its pennies over the past few years, legitimately or not, it just never made a lot of sense.
El Kabong
Jed scuffled a bit during last season’s second half. This is likely due in part to him playing every day. I agree this signing made no sense. Since it is doubtful the Mets are a real contender, they are essentially paying Jed $24 million to ride out his age 35 and 36 seasons. He also has zero trade value is they’re sellers at the trade deadline. The same is true of Cano and Frazier. Not the way to orchestrate a needed rebuild.
jorge78
He passed a physical a month ago…..
Old User Name
In the best shape of his life.
Bocephus
Isn’t that what they all say?
Dutch Vander Linde
I can smell it. He’s going to be out until after allstar break.
padam
Didn’t need him to begin with. Now this. Welcome to the Mets.
bradthebluefish
Typical of Lowrie. He should go on the Tom Brady diet & training.
Asfan0780
I wanted to resign lowrie but age 35 season, injury history, A’s dodged a bullet there
arc89
Exact Reason A’s didn’t resign him. Good solid player when healthy but a 50/50 chance he is not healthy.
johnnybadd2019
Mets should just move there offices to the hospital for special surgery since there always injured
EasternLeagueVeteran
Hahaha
Steve Ganci
What’s the NY Daily Post? Do we read what we typed or is this writer even knowledgeable what the NY papers are called? It’s the Daily News or NY Post(in this case likely the former as they have a minuscule sports staff remaining of no name cheap salaried reporters)
Yankeepatriot
And here comes the jokes about the Mets bad training staff
Steve Ganci
Hey TC, what’s the NY Daily Post? Doubt the NY Post would sink so low to merge with the hideous NY Daily News!
luckyh
Classic Met’s signing.
Steve Ganci
Jacoby Ellsbury would pass a physical on this team. There’s QUITE an impressive list of guys waiting to sign up to the INJURED list this year(no longer called disabled, it’s not PC)
EasternLeagueVeteran
The difference this season is that they can keep Jeff McNeil and TJ Rivera et al on the infield as depth and can plug a Rajai Davis or JD Davis in the outfield to keep things moving so they dont have to rush Lowrie back and can still have a somewhat productive lineup. Listen, at least i dont anticupate Lowrie to be aa bad off as Cespedes, and believe he would WANT to come back.
SargentDownvote
Jed and Jacoby, make room for Tulo. He’ll join you once spring training games begin.
Oh… and Steven Matz.
top jimmy
And so it begins for the most active disabled list in all of baseball.
xXabial
classic Jed debut
ghost of dave kingman
Injury List……
DTI812
And so it begins
jmpast33
Move McNeil back to the infield. Sign Harper. Problem solved