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Injury Notes: BoSox, Mets, Angels, Rox, Tigers, Braves

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There was fear this week that Red Sox left-hander David Price would need elbow surgery, but those worries were put to rest Friday. It turns out that elbow experts Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Neal ElAttrache diagnosed Price with a mild flexor strain and some bone spurs, industry sources told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. That Price dodged a more serious injury surprised the doctors, the ace revealed. “They said it multiple times; we expected this to be a lot worse than what it really is,” said Price, who added that Andrews and ElAttrache informed him he has an “extremely unique” elbow. “It’s found a way to kind of heal itself,” he continued. “It’s pretty neat, bionic elbow.” Although Price avoided a season-ending issue, he’s still likely to begin the campaign on the disabled list and miss a to-be-determined amount of starts, according to Abraham. How much time Price misses will largely be up to him, though, as the doctors want the 31-year-old to map out his own recovery program. “I’ll know when I feel good enough to go out there and throw a baseball,” declared Price.

More pitcher-related injury updates:

  • Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom took the mound Saturday for the first time since last September, when he underwent elbow surgery, and dazzled in two scoreless innings, reports Dan Martin of the New York Post. DeGrom’s average fastball velocity fell from 94.9 mph in 2015 to 93.4 mph last year, but it clocked in between 96 and 97 mph at times Saturday. “When I saw the 97, I looked at (pitching coach) Dan (Warthen) and said, ‘That’s a little special,’” said manager Terry Collins. Naturally, deGrom also came away encouraged. “Last year, it was all I had to get to 92 [mph],” deGrom noted. “It has to do with repeating my mechanics. Last year, I flew open all the time and my arm was dragging.”
  • Unlike deGrom, Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs endured a rather poor spring debut Saturday, relays Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). In his first outing since undergoing a major injury scare last September, the onetime Tommy John surgery recipient recorded only two outs against four walks. More alarmingly, Skaggs saw his fastball dip from 89 to 92 mph at the beginning of the inning to 86 to 88 mph by the end of it.
  • Southpaw Chris Rusin is attempting to claim the last spot in the Rockies’ rotation this spring, but those efforts will go on hold for an “extended period,” writes Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. Rusin hurt his right side in his outing Friday, causing him to leave the game, and will “be out for a while,” manager Bud Black said.
  • Tigers righty reliever Adam Ravenelle departed the team’s game Saturday with elbow discomfort and will undergo an MRI, skipper Brad Ausmus announced (via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). Ravenelle, a non-roster invitee whom Baseball America ranks as Detroit’s eighth-best prospect, underwent ulnar nerve surgery in his elbow in 2012, per Woodbery. More recently, the 24-year-old combined for 67 1/3 innings at three different levels last season. The plurality of his work came at Triple-A Toledo, where he put up a 4.85 ERA to go with 6.98 K/9 against 4.85 BB/9 in 29 2/3 frames.
  • Braves Rule 5 pick Armando Rivero has been dealing with shoulder soreness, though manager Brian Snitker said Saturday that there’s no sign of structural damage, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Braves doctors cleared the righty, previously with the Cubs, to continue throwing and vying for a job with Atlanta. Rivero, 29, pitched to a 2.13 ERA and recorded a sky-high 13.97 K/9 against a bloated 4.66 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in 2016.

Latest On Mets’ Extension Candidates

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9:10pm: While a long-term deal with Walker remains possible, it doesn’t seem likely that the Mets will pursue extensions with any of their young starters, Carig reports in a full column. None of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz or Matt Harvey has approached the team about a long-term deal, and the Mets haven’t been especially proactive in initiating talks given recent injury issues for most of their young arms.

With the exception of Syndergaard, who reportedly pitched much of 2016 with a small bone spur in his right elbow, each of the other three arms is fewer than nine months removed from notable surgery.

Harvey underwent an operation to remove a rib in order to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome last summer, while deGrom had his ulnar nerve repaired shortly thereafter. Matz went under the knife to remove more significant bone spurs than the one that briefly troubled Syndergaard, and he had shoulder issues late in the 2016 season as well.

10:54am: When he accepted the Mets’ $17.2MM qualifying offer last fall, second baseman Neil Walker resolved his status for the coming season, but both he and the club left open the possibility of reaching a longer-term accommodation. While there’s no agreement as yet, the sides have continued to discuss a new contract in the ensuing months, Walker told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (Twitter links).

Citing the “potential” for a long-term accord, the 31-year-old switch hitter seemingly suggested that there will be an ongoing effort over the course of the spring to pursue a deal. As Marc Carig of Newsday notes on Twitter, it appears that the “situation looks favorable” for the sides to come together and once again keep Walker from reaching the open market. Indeed they almost reached a three-year pact when Walker was weighing the qualifying offer, according to a report from Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. And the sides continued talking later in the offseason, Carig adds via Twitter. Both reporters peg the general contract chatter in the three-year, $40MM range.

The veteran second baseman also noted that he’s preparing to try out some other infield positions this spring. He’ll spend at least some time at both third and first base, it seems, which could expand his and the organization’s options in the near term and beyond. With David Wright’s health still a question mark moving forward and Lucas Duda set to hit the open market after the 2017 campaign, Walker could conceivably become a factor in the corner infield at some point.

Beyond those two spots, the Mets are largely unsettled in the middle infield beyond the coming season. The club holds an option over shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and will hope to see continued strides from prospects Amed Rosario and Gavin Cecchini, though it’s still possible to imagine a need at that position in 2018. Both Walker and Jose Reyes are slated for free agency next fall, and the club dealt away one possible replacement in Dilson Herrera. Though Wilmer Flores remains an option around the infield, he has mostly been utilized in a part-time role, and it’s likely that the organization sees other possibilities such as T.J. Rivera and Matt Reynolds in a similar light.

Given that mix, it’s not surprising to hear that New York has interest in retaining Walker for the future. He has a lengthy track record of steadily above-average offensive production, drew some of the best grades of his career for his fielding in 2016, and says he’s feeling better than he has in quite some time since undergoing season-ending back surgery late last season. Of course, the sides will need to settle on a price and term of years; the single-season QO value is a lofty target for an average payout, though perhaps Walker could command something approaching that level over three or (much less likely) four years. Recent deals that could provide guidance include those reached between Justin Turner and the Dodgers (four years, $64MM), Daniel Murphy and the Nationals (three years, $37.5MM), and Ben Zobrist and the Cubs (four years, $56MM).

Quick Hits: Rockies, Mets, Astros

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A few notes from around the majors:

  • Both the Marlins and Pirates have made changes to their outfield alignments this offseason, and the Rockies should follow suit, opines Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. Specifically, the club ought to flip center fielder Charlie Blackmon – who has spent most of his career manning the middle – and left fielder David Dahl, Bowden argues. Blackmon, 30, has been a plus defender in left (three Defensive Runs Saved, 3.2 Ultimate Zone Rating), albeit over only 574 innings, but a negative in center across a 3,126-inning sample size (minus-15 DRS, minus-27.1 UZR). Dahl, meanwhile, drew near-neutral grades (minus-1 DRS, 0.4 UZR) in a combined 481 innings at all three outfield positions in 2016, his rookie campaign. At the time of Dahl’s July promotion to the majors, Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser noted that the 22-year-old possesses “superb defensive skills” and should be the Rockies’ long-term answer in center.
  • When Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom underwent season-ending elbow surgery in September, the expectation was that he’d be ready for spring training. That remains the case, fortunately, as deGrom told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post he hasn’t “had any of the pain that was there” since having his ulnar nerve repositioned. The surgery, therefore, has been a success to this point, declared deGrom, who explained the issues that caused him to undergo the procedure. “It started with some tingling in my fingers,’’ said deGrom, whose last start of 2016 came Sept. 1. “Then it turned into a sharp pain. I don’t know if it’s because it was getting aggravated more, but that’s what was happening.”
  • After a 15 1/3-inning cup of coffee in the majors last season, right-handed reliever Jandel Gustave has a strong chance to make the Astros out of camp this year, writes Jake Kaplan of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended). Manager A.J. Hinch is bullish on the hard-throwing Gustave, who racked up 16 strikeouts against four walks and yielded six earned runs on 13 hits last year with Houston. “I think he’s right in the mix to make our bullpen, both by improvements that he’s made in the last couple of seasons but also the first impression in the big leagues,” Hinch said of the 24-year-old. “He has an elite fastball and a developing breaking ball.”

Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

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Quite frankly, there were too many arbitration agreements today to reasonably stuff into one post. So here’s a rundown of the National League players that have avoided arbitration on smaller deals (American League deals here). You can see all of the arbitration “action” thus far in a sortable, filterable format by checking out MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker. All projections referenced in this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:

  • Wily Peralta and Carlos Torres have agreed to one-year deals, according to the team’s Twitter account. Peralta will earn $4.275MM (compared to $4.4MM projection), per Heyman. Torres was projected to make $2MM, but will get slightly more at $2.175MM, per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter).
  • Reliever George Kontos gets $1.75MM from the Giants, Heyman tweets. He had projected at $1.7MM.
  • The Diamondbacks also reached agreement with lefty Patrick Corbin, righty Randall Delgado, and catcher Chris Herrmann, per Jack Magruder of Fan Rag (links to Twitter). Delgado gets $1.775MM and Herrmann receives $937,500. As for Corbin, he’ll take home $3.95MM, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), which falls a bit shy of his $4.2MM projection.
  • Infielder Eduardo Nunez will receive $4.2MM from the Giants, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). San Francisco has also reached agreement with lefty Will Smith, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). He’ll receive $2.5MM, just over his $2.3MM projection, Heyman tweets.
  • The Phillies settled at $4.2MM with righty Jeanmar Gomez, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). He falls just a big shy of his $4.6MM projection.
  • The Cardinals have announced arb deals with Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist. Rosenthal receives $6.4MM, per Heyman (via Twitter), which is just $100K over his projection. Siegrist projected at $1.9MM, but his salary has yet to be reported.
  • Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom have each avoided arbitration with the Mets. Harvey gets $5.125MM in his second arb year, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter). Meanwhile, deGrom will receive $4.05MM in his first trip through the arb process, per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin (via Twitter). New York has also agreed with lefty Josh Edgin, Rubin tweets, though terms remain unreported.

Earlier Updates

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Arbitration Breakdown: Jacob deGrom & Carlos Martinez

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Over the next few days, I will be discussing some of the higher profile upcoming arbitration cases. I will rely partly on my arbitration model developed exclusively for MLB Trade Rumors, but will also break out some interesting comparables and determine where the model might be wrong. Click here to view all of the 2017 projections.

Ever since Dontrelle Willis received $4.35 million in arbitration in 2006, it has been hard for first-time eligible starting pitchers to top his salary. The record stood for ten years, until last year Dallas Keuchel took home $7.25 million following a Cy Young Award-winning season. In the decade since Willis received his record first-year salary for starting pitchers, many pitchers have come extremely close to hitting his $4.35 million or have actually hit it. David Price matched Willis’ $4.35 million in 2012 and Shelby Miller did so last year. Seven other starting pitchers have earned between $4 and $4.35 million in the last decade as well.

Other pitchers who would likely have exceeded Willis’ record received multi-year deals, which usually removes them from consideration when looking for comparables. Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw were both coming off Cy Young seasons when they received multi-year deals, and Lance Lynn and Cole Hamels also received multi-year deals and subsequently missed out on breaking the record as well. Many elite starting pitchers are worthwhile candidates for multi-year deals, so it is not surprising that few of them actually receive one-year deals and become comparables. Among pitchers in the last decade with 30 career wins, 450 career innings, career ERAs below 3.50 and at least 100 platform year innings, five of nine signed multi-year deals before reaching agreement on one-year deals for their first year of salary arbitration.

Modeling arbitration salaries is obviously something that requires much precision, but the psychological barrier of $4.35 million is something that emotionless mathematical modeling will miss. As a result, I have written several articles over the years in which I explained that certain pitchers who were projected just over $4.35 million probably would not actually do so. Jacob deGrom and Carlos Martinez may be two such pitchers today, although Martinez is more likely to best that amount.

Jacob deGrom is coming off a mediocre platform year (for arbitration purposes) where he only won seven games amidst throwing 148 innings. Although his ERA was 3.04, lack of counting stats is likely to hurt his arbitration case. His career numbers may offset this—he has 30 career wins and a 2.74 ERA across 479.1 innings and has struck out 492 batters. He also won Rookie of the Year in 2014. His projection is $4.5 million, although I think there is good reason to believe that he will fall short of this.

Carlos Martinez has a much stronger case, and is projected to earn $5.3 million. He went 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA in 195.1 innings with 174 strikeouts, and has a career 34-21 record with a 3.32 ERA in 492.2 innings with 466 strikeouts. Few pitchers can match his performance, and he may be able to top the old record of $4.35 million, although he will come nowhere near the new record. The peculiarity of Martinez’ case is that is that there are no comparable pitchers with salaries in the range between $4.35 and $7.25, so he will be filling in some empty space if he does exceed the old Willis number.

In the last five years, there have only been five pitchers who had 25 career wins, 400 career innings, 400 career strikeouts, and career ERAs under 3.50 who did not sign multi-year deals. All five received between $3.97 and $4.35 million in arbitration. These include Shelby Miller at $4.35 million, Matt Harvey at $4.32 million, Doug Fister and Alex Cobb both at $4 million, and Stephen Strasburg at $3.97 million.

It is difficult to see a good reason why Jacob deGrom would earn above or below this range as a result. Although he had slightly fewer innings than all of them, Doug Fister in 2013 was coming off just 161.2 innings and Alex Cobb was coming off 166.1 innings. Both won 10 games, more than deGrom’s seven, but neither had a Rookie of the Year Award under his belt and deGrom’s career ERA is lower than both of theirs. He also has more strikeouts than either had in their careers at this point as well. As a result, I think he will probably top their $4 million salaries.

I think deGrom will struggle to top Matt Harvey’s $4.32 million from last season, though. Harvey had a better career ERA and a better platform ERA, along with many more platform innings. Something around $4.2 million seems likely for deGrom—below his $4.5 million projection.

Martinez, on the other hand, does seem like a likely candidate to top the five aforementioned starters’ earnings. None of them had more than 13 platform year wins, and Martinez had 16. His 3.04 ERA is in the middle of the pack for the group, but his 195.1 innings total is only bested by Miller. His 34 career wins are bested by Alex Cobb, but exceed the other four starters. His innings and strikeouts are similar to them as well.

All things considered, he has a clear cut case to beat the $4.35 million mark. Comparing him to Shelby Miller alone, he went 16-9 as compared with Miller’s 6-17 in his platform year. His platform year ERA was nearly identical and he threw only 10 less innings but had three more strikeouts than Miller. In his career, he has two more wins than Miller but 14 fewer losses. He also has a relatively similar ERA. Although he has thrown about eighty fewer innings, he has only struck out seventeen fewer batters. Martinez is likely to succeed in asking for a number higher than Miller’s $4.35. But given that the main difference is ten platform year wins, I believe he will probably not get the $5.3 million projection my model estimates. I think something between $4.5 and $5 million is likely for Martinez.

Both of these pitchers are projected for slightly more than they will probably earn. The symbolic barrier at $4.35 million is still a factor despite Keuchel’s new record, which was set up by his 232 innings of 2.48 ERA pitching and the hardware to match. Because of that, the model is likely to miss on starting pitchers near that until that symbolic barrier has been passed enough times.

Jacob deGrom To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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TODAY: deGrom’s procedure was completed successfully today, the Mets announced. His ulnar nerve was “reposition[ed]” during the surgery, and the expectation remains that he’ll be ready to go next spring.

YESTERDAY: Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom will undergo surgery on the ulnar nerve issue in his right elbow later this week, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. The operation, which will move the nerve to alleviate the discomfort deGrom has been feeling, comes with a three-month recovery, Rubin adds.

Obviously, the operation will bring deGrom’s season to a close and rule him out of the Mets’ postseason rotation picture (if New York is able to hang onto the Wild Card spot it currently holds). The 28-year-old former NL Rookie of the Year (2014) was able to start just 24 games for the Mets in 2016 but was quite productive when on the mound even in spite of the nerve issue in his arm. DeGrom totaled 148 innings of 3.03 ERA ball this season, averaging 8.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 to go along with a 45.6 percent ground-ball rate. He entered the season with one year, 139 days of Major League service time, making him a very likely Super Two candidate following the season.

DeGrom becomes the latest Mets starter to go down with an arm injury in what has been a difficult year for New York’s vaunted young rotation. Zack Wheeler was never able to make it back to a big league mound as he recovered from 2015 Tommy John surgery but incurred numerous setbacks along the way. Matt Harvey, meanwhile, underwent surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome after struggling through the first half of the regular season. Both Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard are pitching through bone spurs in their throwing elbows as well, though Syndergaard’s is considered much more minor in nature. And if the bone spur wasn’t enough, Matz has also been battling tightness in his left shoulder, which has sidelined him for the past month, though he’s nearing a return from the disabled list.

Jacob deGrom Shut Down For Season, Likely To Undergo Right Elbow Surgery

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The Mets have shut down Jacob deGrom for the remainder of the 2016 season, GM Sandy Alderson told reporters (including MLB.com’s Barry W. Bloom).  DeGrom will likely undergo surgery on his right ulnar nerve, though Alderson didn’t consider the surgery to be too serious in nature (via ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin).

DeGrom has been bothered by forearm and elbow soreness for the last two weeks and hasn’t pitched since September 1.  He was tentatively scheduled to start tomorrow and went through a successful bullpen session on Friday, though after deGrom felt pain while shagging fly balls, it isn’t any surprise that the club chose to shut down the 28-year-old.  Since surgery isn’t confirmed yet, Alderson didn’t provide any timeline, though Rubin notes that the general recovery period seems to range from three to six months.

Needless to say, losing deGrom is a big blow to the Mets’ postseason chances.  The right-hander has continued to post good results in his third MLB season, with a 3.04 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 2.19 BB/9 and 45.6% grounder rate over 148 innings.  DeGrom had suffered a loss of velocity over his last couple of starts, which is quite likely related to his injury.

The Mets roster has been plagued by injuries to major names all season, and yet the team is still hanging steady in the postseason race, beginning the day with a two-game lead on the Cardinals for the final NL wild card slot.  The Mets have won nine of their last 12 games thanks to unexpected contributors like young righties Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, who may now be tasked with playoff starts should New York get past the wild card game.  Steven Matz could possibly still be a factor, though he is facing his own health problems in the form of a shoulder injury and bone spurs in his elbow.

NL Notes: Wright, deGrom, Matz, Kang, Padres Prospects

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A trip to the doctor resulted in generally positive news for Mets third baseman David Wright, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. Wright’s surgically-repaired neck is said to be healing as hoped, though Wright will not even be able to do full-scale workouts until next spring. Still, it seems that he and the team have reason to hope that he’ll be able to attempt a comeback for 2017.

  • Meanwhile, the Mets are considering an interesting way of working injured starters Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz back into the major league mix, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among those to report. If both are ready to pitch, but not handle a full starter’s workload, then the pair could work in tandem in a single outing, skipper Terry Collins suggested. With wins at a premium, that ought to represent a potent one-two punch, especially since the righty/lefty combo would be hard to match up against.
  • It doesn’t appear as if the investigation into sexual assault allegations against Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang is progressing much, as Andrew Goldstein of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Chicago police who are looking into the claims say that they are not having success in making contact with the woman who says she was assaulted by the Korean star. At this time, though, it appears that it still remains an open matter. The police “are seeking clarification on several items to corroborate the allegations made,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that the league will not take action on the matter until the investigation has progressed.
  • Four significant Padres prospects have notably yet to receive major league promotions this year, as Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource recently explored. The organization has preferred to keep those players together for the Triple-A playoffs, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes, with manager Andy Green saying that more call-ups are expected once the PCL campaign has wrapped up. Catcher Austin Hedges seems to be an easy call now that a promotion won’t cost the team a year of control, as he’s already on the 40-man and the team just lost Christian Bethancourt. Manuel Margot is also on the 40-man, but the team may wish to watch his service time. Meanwhile, a bump for outfielder Hunter Renfroe and/or infielder Carlos Asuaje could make sense since both need roster spots this winter for Rule 5 protection.

Injury Notes: deGrom, Holliday, Benintendi, Wright, Pollock, Kazmir

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The Mets are understandably anxious to get righty Jacob deGrom back on the big league hill, and with minor league seasons wrapping up, they may allow him to ramp up fully while pitching from the bullpen, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. DeGrom threw 35 pitches at full tilt today as he recovers from a recent bout of forearm tightness, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports on Twitter, and it seems he could be back in uniform in a few days. It’ll be interesting to see how deGrom is deployed, but regardless, it’s obviously good news for the Mets as they battle for a Wild Card berth.

  • One of New York’s primary competitors, the Cardinals, appear set to welcome back an important piece of their own in outfielder Matt Holliday, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports on Twitter. The veteran reported that his injured thumb felt good after an on-field BP session today. It still seems unlikely that St. Louis will pick up its $17MM club option on Holliday for 2017, though team and player could always work out an alternative arrangement.
  • Likewise, the Red Sox will get back an outfielder for the stretch run. Rookie Andrew Benintendi may be ready to go by the middle of the week after making good progress following a knee injury, manager John Farrell told reporters including Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. The left-handed hitter is likely to return in a time share, despite his immense early production, as the righty-swinging Chris Young is hitting well since he was activated from a DL stint.
  • The news wasn’t as good for Red Sox righty Steven Wright, who is dealing with shoulder issues, ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber reports. The knuckler may be able to begin throwing soon, but Farrell suggested that it will be a “challenge” for him to return to full duty in time to play a role late in the regular season or even the playoffs. Wright, 32, hasn’t maintained his breakout first-half production, managing only a 5.06 ERA in 42 2/3 innings over his most recent seven outings.
  • Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock is expected to return at some point over the next few weeks, Jack Magruder of Fan Rag tweets. After working back from a broken bone in his elbow that took most of his season, Pollock went down recently with a groin strain. But it seems he’ll be able to log a few more plate appearances late in the year, with the training staff saying that he is ahead of schedule in recovering.
  • It’s still unclear what, if anything, the Dodgers can expect from southpaw Scott Kazmir, who has been diagnosed with thoracic spinal inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts says that he hasn’t been updated as to Kazmir’s status, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The entire campaign has been a struggle for the veteran lefty, but he has been hit harder (.277/.333/.493) in seven starts over the second half and it’s not at all apparent whether he’ll be a factor in the postseason. With two years and $32MM left on his contract, Kazmir seems unlikely to trigger his opt-out clause after the season.

Mets Injury Updates: Matz, deGrom, Lagares, Duda

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Though GM Sandy Alderson declined to provide further details on the Mets’ long list of injured players, today was rather a promising day for the club’s general health. New York entered play today in Wild Card position, but still faces a tough fight to reach and advance in the postseason, so every source of help will be most welcome. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among those to report on the progress:

  • Southpaw Steven Matz is prepared for his first throws from a mound since he hit the DL with a shoulder problem. Matz will take the bump tomorrow in an effort to ramp back up, which represents progress since the last time we checked in on him. Already pitching through bone spurs in his elbow, the shoulder troubles seemingly represented a more significant concern, but all indications are that the joint is structurally sound.
  • Righty Jacob deGrom, meanwhile, was able to throw on flat ground today for the first time since he was shut down with forearm soreness. He, too, is said to be battling inflammation but not a more significant underlying injury. It seems deGrom may be a bit behind Matz, but both could conceivably return to the Mets’ rotation within the next several weeks.
  • Outfielder Juan Lagares is ready to swing a bat, which represents forward progress from his thumb surgery recovery. But the team is preparing to “push” Lagares forward before he’s ready to hit at the major league level, per skipper Terry Collins, with a view to utilizing him as a defensive replacement and pinch runner down the stretch.
  • The Mets’ most surprising news, perhaps, is that first bagger Lucas Duda is preparing for a live BP session. He has missed much of the year with a stress fracture in his lower back and has seemed at various times to be unlikely to return in 2016. But that could be the prelude to a late-season return for the slugger, who could provide a big boost to the New York lineup if he’s able to return even for part-time duty. His recovery may also bear upon the team’s decision whether to tender him a contract this fall.
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