Catching up with Travis and Noah
PORT ST. LUCIE − Lost in Tim Tebow’s Grapefruit League debut Wednesday was a significant reunion for the Mets. Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard worked together in a game for the first time since June. “It wasn’t a big deal,” said d’Arnaud. “Even when I wasn’t catching him last year, when he was pitching I would be paying attention. Sometimes I would go up in the video room and watch the video feed from behind the plate, so I could keep up with what he was doing.”
The last time d’Arnaud caught Syndergaard, the big right-hander had his worst career start. He blew a 4-0 lead, allowed five runs on seven hits and walked three in three innings. The Nationals also stole four bases on the battery that day. D’Arnaud struggled throwing last season, but he took too much blame for Syndergaard’s struggle holding runners and his bad day. Syndergaard was also going through some elbow issues that turned out to be a small bone spur.
With d’Arnaud struggling to hold on runners − he allowed 48 stolen bases in 2016 − the Mets paired him with veteran catcher Rene Rivera for all but one of the rest of Syndergaard’s starts last season.
But d’Arnaud has shown progress this spring behind the plate and with his arm after working with catching coach Glenn Sherlock. And his bat has been much-improved, so the Mets are eager to get Syndergaard more comfortable working with him.
With Rivera playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, Terry Collins planned to have them start together a couple times.
“It went fine,” Collins said. “They’ll work together more this spring.” D’Arnaud said it was a pretty easy transition. “We talked a little before the game, but just the normal stuff, where he wanted me to set up and what he was working on,” d’Arnaud said. “It was no big deal.”
It could end up being the start of a big change for Syndergaard and the Mets. Syndergaard went home before Thursday’s game with the flu, which is making its way through the Mets clubhouse. D’Arnaud has been fighting through it as well.
A NICE dE CHANGE
Jacob deGrom came out firing bullets last week in his first start back from surgery to move the ulnar nerve in his elbow, but in his second start, he slowed things down a bit. The righthander still had great velocity, but mostly worked on his other pitches, especially his changeup. And he was deLighted with his results.
“I was really pleased with being able to locate all four pitches today,” deGrom said. “The last start I threw a couple changeups in the dirt. I don’t think I threw one for a strike my first outing. I think today, I was able to throw my changeup wherever I wanted, pretty much whenever I wanted to.”
DeGrom threw four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four in the Mets’ 5-5 tie with the Tigers at First Data Field. The effective changeup is a good sign for deGrom. “I would say that in 2014-15 it was my second best pitch. Last year I got away from it for some reason,” deGrom said. “I think it’s big being able to throw when you want; if you’ve got a guy 3-2 and throw a changeup he is not really expecting that. I had that confidence before. I don’t know why I got away from it, but having it be my second best pitch again is the plan.”