IL FOR DELLIN Problems keep coming for Met arms
Two more Mets pitchers are banged up in what’s been a brutal season for their pitching depth. Relievers Steven Matz and Dellin Betances are headed to the 10day injured list, the team said Sunday. Both pitched in Saturday’s loss to the Yankees. Matz, who was recently demoted from the starting rotation to the bullpen, was pulled after just an inning with what the team termed “left shoulder discomfort.” He had been dealing with the pain since his last start in Philadelphia on Aug. 15.
Betances, who gave up the winning run on a wild pitch, has “right lat muscle tightness.”
Franklyn Kilome and Drew Smith will replace Matz and Betances on the roster.
Matz is scheduled to see a doctor today. He last received an MRI two weeks ago, after that start in Philly. The lefty was encouraged by the good news of no structural damage, so he received the green light to continue ramping up for his recent demotion to the bullpen.
“I like starting,” Matz said. “That’s mainly what I’ve done my whole career. But ultimately whatever they need of me, I’m going to do. I just want to do the best I can out of the bullpen, and go from there. But ultimately I like starting. That’s my goal as a big-league player.”
Mets manager Luis Rojas and Matz both asserted that his shoulder discomfort was not a factor in his shift to the pen. The lefthander has had a disappointing year — pitching to a 8.63 ERA — though he said his arm has felt the best it has throughout his career. Even when he was struggling with results this year, Matz felt strong, healthy and reassured with his uptick in velocity.
“My arm was feeling really strong and healthy so I’m pretty bummed about it, definitely” Matz said on Sunday.
Matz and Betances were major parts of the Mets’ plans this season, but both have struggled badly. Betances has allowed seven runs in 10.1 innings, while Matz had allowed 23 runs in 23 innings before getting removed from the rotation. Betances’ velocity has also diminished during his time with the Mets.