Stroman latest Mets pitcher to go down with injury»
NEW YORK » Now the Mets are down a second front-line starter.
Marcus Stroman has a torn muscle in his left calf, the team announced Wednesday evening — a major blow to the Mets just two days before their season opener.
The All-Star pitcher was expected to follow two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in a rotation already minus No. 2 starter Noah Syndergaard all year because of Tommy John surgery.
Mets manager Luis Rojas said the club doesn’t anticipate Stroman needing surgery and he will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. But with the coronavirus-delayed season shortened to 60 games, it could be difficult for the right-hander to return in time to provide much help.
“He’s good to throw, it’s just moving where the challenge is. You know, getting off the mound and different things like that,” Rojas said. “But it’s just really unfortunate. This guy, he’s a fighter, he wants to go, and it’s unfortunate that he’s not going to start in that rotation for us.”
New York opens up Friday at home with deGrom on the mound against the Atlanta Braves. Steven Matz will get the ball Saturday and then newcomer Rick Porcello in the series finale Sunday.
Porcello was scratched from his scheduled start in a simulated game Wednesday at Citi Field and threw a side session instead to line him up for this weekend.
Michael Wacha also is expected to have a spot in the rotation, and now the Mets need to find a fifth starter.
Rojas mentioned right-hander Corey Oswalt, young lefty David Peterson and veteran Erasmo Ramírez as potential replacements who have been stretched out in summer camp precisely for this contingency.
“Right now our focus is our guys, and we like them very much,” Rojas said. “We like our pitching depth. I think what we have in camp definitely can put us up there from a competitive standpoint.”
Rojas reiterated that reliever Seth Lugo, a converted starter, will remain in the bullpen.
New York went into spring training back in February with six established starters for five available slots, making Matz and Wacha possible bullpen candidates. But then Syndergaard had elbow surgery after the virus shutdown in March, and now Stroman is sidelined as well.
He was placed on the injured list Wednesday along with reliever Robert Gsellman, who has tightness in his right triceps.
“There’s no timeline,” Rojas said about Gsellman. “He’s progressing again. There’s a plan to get him ramped up.”