Beat-up Mets get Conforto
Stroman could make next start after soreness
Marcus Stroman is optimistic he can make his next scheduled start for the New York Mets after an MRI showed no damage to his sore left hip.
That was good news for the depleted Mets, who reinstated right fielder Michael Conforto from the injured list Wednesday — one of eight roster moves the banged-up NL East leaders made before their series finale against Atlanta.
Conforto had been sidelined since straining his right hamstring on May 16. He was ready to return Tuesday but wasn’t activated after Triple-a Syracuse’s game was postponed to allow for more COVID -19 testing and contact tracing within the organization. Conforto spent last weekend on a rehab assignment with Syracuse, so the Mets said they decided not to reinstate him Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution.”
“It was definitely a rollercoaster,” Conforto said. “Super excited yesterday. Fortunately, everything was fine.”
The outfielder said Wednesday he tested negative three times and was feeling good. He batted third against Braves starter Kyle Wright and lined a double into the right-field corner his first time up before scoring on a groundout.
Conforto was hitting .230 with two homers and 13 RBIS in 33 games when he got hurt. He can become a free agent after the World Series.
“I have zero worries about the leg, so that’s good stuff,” Conforto said. “It’s just going to be a process getting my legs back under me, no matter how many rehab games I play. It’s a different intensity up here. So, that’s going to be the big adjustment.”
Stroman, the team’s most durable starting pitcher this season, exited Tuesday night’s outing in the second inning because of his aching hip.
Mets manager Luis Rojas said Stroman remained sore Wednesday, but the MRI results were comforting. He will receive treatment, and New York hadn’t ruled him out for Monday night at Washington.
“Right now it’s a relief just to know that he’s clean there. I think we caught it on time. I said this several times with the guys: I’m glad he stopped and we were able to go out there and he was able to listen to different guys that were on the mound to come out, because he wanted to pitch through it and he could have aggravated stuff in there — or even something else,” Rojas said.
Note: Pete Alonso of the Mets will defend his Home Run Derby title at Coors Field on July 12. Alonso made the announcement Wednesday on his Instagram page. He joins Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels in the derby.