Stearns praises Mendoza
Carlos Mendoza has acted like himself through his first Mets spring training, through an 0-5 start to the year and through a strong bounce-back as the club’s season got back on track.
Team president David Stearns has only had one camp and 2 ¹/₂ weeks worth of regular-season games to analyze, but he has been pleased with the job that his manager has done.
“I think he’s been very steady from Day 1 of spring training through today,” Stearns, speaking publicly for the first time this season, said before Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the Pirates at Citi Field. “And that’s so important over the course of the major league season. You’re going to go through ups and downs, you’re going to go through losing streaks and winning streaks. Understanding that it is a long season, and there are going to be times where it’s tough … I think he’s done a great job of doing that.”
Mendoza, a first-year major league manager after serving as the Yankees’ bench coach, did not call a closed-door meeting when everything went wrong in the first week of the season. There has been no notable, rally-the-troops speech in the clubhouse. Instead, Mendoza continued to publicly preach faith in a team that has since turned it around and risen above .500.
Jose Quintana allowed one run on four hits and three walks in five innings, often unable to put hitters away but pitching his way out of trouble. The lefty has allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 17 Mets starts.
Jeff McNeil smacked an RBI double in the seventh inning and has a .438 on-base percentage over his past eight games.
Though still often unhittable, Edwin Diaz has not yet tapped into the velocity that he pitched with in 2022. The closer has averaged 96.6 mph with his four-seam fastball, and Monday averaged 95.8 . In ’22, Diaz’s fastball averaged 99.1 mph.
Tylor Megill (strained right shoulder) was set to throw from 120 feet Tuesday, Mendoza said. Megill, out since March 31, began a throwing progression last week . ... Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement) is set to pitch on back-to-back games for Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday and Thursday. This would be the final box to check off for Reid-Foley, who struck out the side with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday.