Vet Milone claimed off waivers
A rotation that was supposed to be among the best in the game may soon include recent Brewers castoff Tommy Milone.
The Mets claimed the 30-year-old left-hander Sunday and he could take the struggling Rafael Montero’s spot.
Since the suspended Matt Harvey didn’t start against the Marlins on Sunday, he could take Montero’s place Wednesday against the Giants — although Terry Collins said no decision has been made beyond Tuesday’s game.
That still leaves a hole that was filled Sunday by Adam Wilk in a 7-0 loss to Miami at Citi Field, but Milone may be considered a better option than Montero the next time the team needs a fifth starter.
Milone made three starts in six games with the Brewers this season and has a 6.43 ERA in 21 innings. He’s in his seventh season in the majors and spent the past three years with the Twins after parts of three seasons with the A’s.
The loss of Harvey added to the Mets’ pitching woes, with Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz sidelined by injuries.
Part of the appeal of Milone instead of free-agent options like Doug Fister and Tim Lincecum is that Milone is ready to pitch instead of needing an abbreviated spring training.
The Mets received what amounts to positive news regarding
Asdrubal Cabrera. He had an MRI exam Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game with an injured thumb and no structural damage was found.
But that doesn’t mean a trip to the disabled list is out of the question for the shortstop, who was diagnosed with a sprained left thumb.
“We don’t know what we’re gonna do just yet,” Collins said. “The good news is he doesn’t have a tear. He’s still got a pretty jammed-up thumb. He’s pretty sore again.”
A lengthy absence might have hastened the arrival of prospect
Amed Rosario, but as long as Cabrera remains day-to-day, the Mets are inclined to play short-handed with Jose Reyes at shortstop and — on Sunday — Wilmer Flores at third and T. J. Rivera at first. Lucas
Duda is expected to return in another week or so. The first baseman had eight at-bats in an extended spring training game Saturday and four more Sunday. He was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.