metical miracle
Injuries unt ut A azin’s keep n gaining
Jose Reyes and Curtis Granderson (2 HRs) celebrate Granderson’s pinch-hit solo homer in the sixth inning of the Mets’ 7-4 win over Miami. Before the game, it was announced Steven Matz may be done for the season because of shoulder discomfort, while Neil Walker will be on limited duty “if he gets back in the lineup.”
FOR THIS “Seinfeld” edition of the Mets’ recap, you had the As-man hitting an early home run and the Marlins trying to solve the mystery of the Magic Lugo.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Seth Lugo weren’t the only reasons the Mets left Citi Field with a 7-4 victory Tuesday night in what has been a strong homestand, but they are symbolic of the contributions needed if Terry Collins’ crew plans to continue a surge toward the NL’s second wild-card berth.
For now, the Mets are left to wonder if Neil Walker and Steven Matz will be returning to bolster the club over the final month. The details on Walker weren’t fully revealed Tuesday, but industry sources indicated the second baseman was dealing with a “tingling” sensation in his lower back area and wants to receive a second opinion from doctors before returning to the lineup.
The expectation is Walker will try to play through it, but before and after the game Collins would speak only in hypothetical terms about the possibility of a quick return.
Meanwhile, Matz has been scratched from his Thursday start against the Marlins, his scheduled comeback from the shoulder tightness that placed him on the disabled list last week.
And so, the fact the Mets have won four of five to begin this homestand is dampened somewhat by the latest medical report.
Walker’s condition is something the Mets will evidently have to monitor for the rest of the season.
“It’s going to have to be something that he’s going to have to manage as he continues to play,” Collins said. “If he gets back in the lineup, is he going to be an everyday guy? Yeah, but with days of rest mixed in. Will he play five or six days in a row? No.”
It’s the “if ” portion of the statement that sounded the alarms. If Walker returns to the lineup? Other than Yoenis Cespedes, there isn’t a more important member of the lineup than Walker, who has helped carry the club for the last month.
Could Cabrera become that kind of presence? He is hitting .447 with four homers in 11 games since returning from the DL.
“I want to be there for the team,” Cabrera said.
On the pitching side, the hope is Matz will return next week, but Collins conceded there is legitimate concern whether the lefty will pitch again this season.
“I don’t feel like I can really let it go yet,” said Matz, who has tightness in the shoulder — he also has spent most of the season pitching with a significant bone spur in his elbow.
That brings us to Lugo, who allowed two earned runs over six innings Tuesday in a third straight solid performance since replacing Matz in the rotation.
“It’s going to help me get some experience at this level and give me a little bit of confidence,” Lugo said.
The Mets have a September schedule conducive to making a legitimate run at the NL’s second wild card (the Cardinals lead by 2 ½ games), but they need to keep their important pieces on the field. Maybe you could shrug off Walker and Matz if everything else were peachy lately, but Cespedes always seems within one sprint of aggravating his quadriceps and missing a significant stretch. Substitute “knee” for “quadriceps” and you have the same situation with Cabrera.
A measure of relief will arrive Thursday, when rosters can expand, but quantity doesn’t equal quality. Of the players expected to arrive, maybe only Michael Conforto has the upside to become a differencemaker.
The Mets have walked a tightrope using the likes of Robert Gsellman, Rafael Montero and Lugo to stay afloat over the last week-plus, but can that continue?
Jacob deGrom’s expected return to the rotation on Thursday — now in Matz’s spot — should give the Mets a boost following his extra rest. But the Mets probably need Matz, too, if they are going to catch the Cardinals.
Here’s the new meaning of “walk-off ” for the Mets: If they can walk off the field for an entire week without a new injury or setback, party like it’s 2015.