Matz could head to DL as Mets fall to Braves
Of course he could be.
Mets lefthander Steven Matz was diagnosed with a mild flexor pronator strain in his left forearm on Thursday, before the Mets lost to the Braves 4-2, and could be placed on the disabled list.
Matz didn't get out of the first inning of his most recent start. He allowed seven runs on eight hits in what became a 25-4 loss at Washington on Tuesday, the most lopsided defeat in Mets history.
Matz complained of tightness in his left forearm after the game. An MRI on Thursday showed mild inflammation but did not reveal any structural damage.
Matz is still listed as the starter for Sunday against Atlanta, but the Mets are expected to decide Friday whether to put him on the DL.
"I just think we need to see how he comes in tomorrow," manager Mickey Callaway said. "He came in today a lot better than he was before."
Even if Matz is feeling better, he still could get skipped. Matz has thrown 107 2/3 innings, 25 shy of his career high, and his workload could also be a consideration.
"He's getting up there in innings this year," Callaway said. "So we have to keep that in consideration, whether or not it's better to give him a little bit of a break."
Matz is 5-9 with a 4.35 ERA in 21 starts this season. Since the All-Star break, he has a 12.34 ERA in three starts.
If Matz does not pitch against the Braves, Corey Oswalt would likely start.
The Mets have lost 10 out of 13 matchups against Atlanta this season after Thursday.
Ronald Acuna's triple opened the game at Citi Field, then Ozzie Albies singled him home. Brandon Nimmo led off the Mets' first with a solo shot to tie it, but it was short-lived.
The Braves scored three times in the third, the biggest damage coming on Johan Camargo's two-RBI double.
Stater Jason Vargas ended up allowing four earned runs on six hits, struck out seven and walked three during five innings.
The Mets (44-62) had a chance in the sixth. Wilmer Flores doubled, putting two in scoring position with one out for Todd Frazier. But the Braves challenged the tag at second and won.
Flores was out, and Frazier popped up to Albies. Starter Mike Foltynewicz got out of the inning with a 4-2 lead.
The Toddfather: Part II
The Mets activated third baseman Todd Frazier before Thursday's game against the Braves, his second return from the disabled list this season. Frazier had been sidelined since July 9 with a left rib cage strain and appeared in two rehab games for Class-A Brooklyn this week. "We're glad to have Todd back," manager Mickey Callaway said. "We're glad to have his leadership in the clubhouse. It's always more fun with Todd around on the bench in the clubhouse, during the game. A guy you can plug into the middle of the lineup and he's got a chance to go hit you a homer. So we're glad that he's back." In the first season of a two-year deal, Frazier is hitting .217 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in 61 games. Frazier also was sidelined from May 8 to June 2 with a strained left hamstring. The DL stints were the first of Frazier's career, and he said he might need occasional days off. "You appreciate what Cal Ripken Jr. did," Frazier said. "It's one of those things where, don't be shy to ask for a day off every once in a while. It might help you in the long run."
Ex-Met hurler gets drug ban
Pitcher Marcos Molina, a free agent since his release from the Mets' Double-A Binghamton farm team on July 14, has been suspended for the rest of the season following a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Clostebol.
The commissioner's office announced the discipline under the major league drug program. The usual penalty for a first violation is an 80-game suspension. In Molina's case, an agreement was reached between MLB and the players' association for the lesser penalty.
A 23-year-old righthander, Molina was 1-9 with a 6.66 ERA in 14 starts for Binghamton this year and 0-1 with a 9.35 ERA in two starts for Triple-A Las Vegas.
Molina has never pitched in the major leagues but was on the Mets' 40-man major league roster before his release.