TWO games in, and already the Mets are Met-ting…
Manaea down at least two weeks with oblique strain (and will need camp after that). "If all goes well", look for him by late-April.
Great. Between him and Frankie Mount-ass, that's $42mn (60% of a Soto!) mounted on the IL, for now.
Not to panic, but I think I may have to start doing regular "rotation charts" as I did in 2021:
1. Kodai Ghost-Fork, veteran of 5-count 'em-5 IP last year, which is why Mendoza wants a 6-man rotation.
2. Clay Holmes, 13 blown saves last year, which is why he's trying starting now.
3. David Peterson, still…David Peterson
4. Tylor Megill, apparently not using that last ticket to Syracuse yet.
5. Paul Blackburn, back by no demand
6. Griffin Canning, a perfect Angel. (Not a compliment.)
Also, José Butto, butt-o the Mets would rather keep him in the bullpen than use him as the ass-end of the rotation.
Oh, and prized off-season infield reserve
Nick Madrigal dislocated his shoulder fielding a ball in the split-squad game with the Gnats. This is the same shoulder he dislocated with the White Sux in 2020 and an MRI revealed a fracture, so Madrigal will be out "for a long time".
The Mets wanted to get Acuña a full season at AAA, Mauricio still isn't really ready, and Baty can't really play shortstop. So the options now look to be Donovan Walton or Luis de los Santos (not the 1B or the pitcher of the same name).
Hope David Stearns still has Candelita's number!
(Personally, I'd be dialling Quintana, who turned down a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. But allegedly,
the Mets don't like that he has such low velocity [fastball averages 90.7 mph] and even with the Manaea news, would rather just sit back and ride things out with the current cast. Er…we'll see.)