Met prospect is banned for stimulant use
Walter Rasquin, an infield prospect in the Mets’ minor-league system, was suspended Thursday for 50 games for testing positive for methamphetamine, Major League Baseball announced.
Rasquin, a 22-yearold from Venezuela, is on the Mets’ Single-A Columbia roster. Methamphetamine is listed as a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rasquin was an international free agent signing in 2013.
In 13 games this season. Rasquin is hitting .298 with one homer and nine RBI. He played 63 games for the Brooklyn Cyclones last season.
above the fra’
As of Thursday afternoon there was no word on possible discipline for Todd Frazier, according to a source, after he criticized umpires on Wednesday for what he thought were poor calls on balls and strikes. He’s likely facing a fine.
Frazier was frustrated with home-plate umpire Lance Barrett Wednesday and then unleashed his anger publicly afterward, saying “there is no accountability” and calling for a meeting with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Frazier got a day off Thursday.
No offeNSe
The Mets left all their runs in San Diego. After scoring 14 against the Padres on Sunday, the Mets scored just two runs throughout a three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves. With their 11-0 loss Thursday afternoon, the Mets were shut out in consecutive games for the first time since June 30-July 1, 2015 against the Cubs.
“I don’t think that our guys are giving up or not preparing or anything like that. So I am happy about that,” Mickey Callaway said. “Things have not gone well lately, that’s part of a long baseball season. You are going to have ups and downs. The main thing we have to do, continue to do the same things we did when we were going well and eventually things will come around.”
It’s been particularly rough lately for Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario. Conforto is 8-for-52 in his last 16 games and is hitting .200 for the season, while Rosario is 11-for59 in his last 18 appearances and is hitting .222.
“It was obvious that Conforto just wasn’t comfortable out there today with some of the swings he took,” Callaway said. “The best way to get guys out of that is to play them, let them get rid of it. If you don’t play them, they will never get out of it. Then it can last a long time. It’s tough right now on them, but they have to grind through it and keep their routines and processes the right way.”
MINor aDDItIoN
The Mets signed Cody Asche to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas two days after he was cut from the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate. Asche played four seasons with the Phillies and appeared in 19 games last season with the White Sox. He’s mostly played third base and left field. — with Kristie Ackert