Mets rookie Steven Matz scratched from Thursday start

On Tuesday afternoon, Terry Collins sent the media into a tizzy during his pregame press conference, suggesting that Matz’s status for the postseason could be in doubt. The two teams are now tied for that privilege, with identical 89-70 records. Game 3 is an important game, it doesn’t matter if you’re up 2-0 or down 0-2 or 1-1, and it’s a big game.

That springboard is fraught with peril. The outfielder was on the bench Thursday, a day after he was drilled in the left hand. What chance would they have in October without his thunderous bat in the lineup? If the lefthander is included on the NLDS roster, but must be replaced because of an injury, he would be ineligible for the next round should the Mets advance.

The rookie left-hander could return as soon as this weekend against the Nationals.

“When he goes out and pitches, however many times that is, yeah, the reins will be off”, Collins said. “I’m not very concerned”, Matz told the New York Times.

Matz will likely have his next start pushed back to Thursday due to right side stiffness, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

The rookie lefty’s back spasms have improved to the point manager Terry Collins expects Matz to pitch at least five innings in relief behind Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom – both of whom will be making abbreviated starts.

The Mets already know that they will be facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs, but the two teams are still battling for home-field advantage. “He needs to get a few adrenaline going”. “I know it’s going to go away”. He didn’t pitch for the Mets between July 5 and September 6 because a partial muscle tear in his left side. So the Mets will tread lightly.

According to Alderson, Harvey will only start one game during the NLDS.

“A lot can happen between now and then”, Alderson said.

If all goes to plan, that will happen in the next couple of days, in a season-ending series against the Nationals that once seemed so crucial.

As for Matz, he has yet to be named to the postseason rotation in favor of fellow starter Bartolo Colon, but that’s only because of his recent injury.