QUEENS, N.Y. – Before MLB went on a lockout came a record-setting deal for Max Scherzer to come pitch for the New York Mets. The move would allow him to join Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom to form arguably the best 1-2 rotation punch in baseball. Unfortunately, we have yet to see the two play together. During spring training, an injury for deGrom caused him to miss the beginning of the 2022 MLB season with a stress reaction in his right shoulder.
Without having deGrom pitch a single game, the Mets currently sit in first place ahead of the defending champion Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Their pitching is ranked second behind their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, with a 3.41 ERA, while their batting average as a team is .253 at third place in the league.
Scherzer has stepped up to be the temporary ace for the team until deGrom returns. Scherzer is no stranger to having the role of an ace. He currently owns a 2.54 ERA with 59 strikeouts through eight starts. In his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals, he suffered an injury that led him to leave the game. The following day, the Mets announced Scherzer would miss approximately six to eight weeks with a moderate to a high-grade oblique strain.
As they try to adjust without their temporary ace, how can the Mets maintain their comfortable lead once Scherzer and deGrom return?
Time to Step Up
The loss of Scherzer comes at possibly the worst time for the Mets as they are now down three pitchers. The third is Tylor Megill, who is currently on the IL due to biceps tendinitis. Before going on it, he held a 4.41 ERA and was the starting pitcher for the combined no-hitter on April 29.
The trade that brought Chris Bassitt from the Oakland Athletics was unnoticed by some. Now Bassitt will have his chance to make noise. He currently owns a 2.77 ERA through eight starts.
If no setbacks occur, Megill is expected to come off the injured list on May 27. It will be up to Megill and Bassitt to maintain the Mets’ lead in first place. Behind those two are Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker.
May We Forget About It?
With the pitching staff being one of the concerns for the Mets, Francisco Lindor is another. After batting .282 in April to begin the season, he is in a slump in May. He is batting just .192. Lindor didn’t sound too thrilled with reporters speaking about his statistics for the month: “You guys love to talk numbers. I hate talking about numbers.”
Lindor doesn’t seem to enjoy the month of May. In his first season in Queens in 2021, he finished the month of May batting .204 with 20 strikeouts. As of May 23, 2022, he currently matches that same number of strikeouts.
Speaking about numbers, the Mets lead their division by eight games in the NL East. With the Mets losing Scherzer for up to two months, Lindor waking up from his slump would allow him to join the likes of his teammates such as Jeff McNeil (.306), Brandon Nimmo (.293), and Mark Canha (.284), that are putting solid numbers as we head into the hot summer nights.
“I’m not worried about him,” Buck Showalter said last week. “He plays a good shortstop. Play with great effort. He’s committed to every game, every inning. I’m really happy with him… He will be a good, solid worker for us all year round… What happens may not be statistically perfect. He will find out.”
With injuries piling up for the Mets, only time will tell whether this gives Lindor an extra boost going into June or more pressure.
