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Steven Matz MRI comes back clean, but will open 2017 on DL
Posted On Apr 04 2017
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Matz was projected to be New York’s No. 5 starter.
In addition, Steven Matz a southpaw appears to be better after the team was anxious about tenderness in his left elbow.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported Matz will undergo an MRI on his elbow Wednesday and will not be available for the start of the season regardless of its result.
Matz said he felt tenderness before his last outing on March 22 after giving up five runs and eight hits in four innings against the Miami Marlins. He threw off flat ground on Monday and again on Tuesday, and pitching coach Dan Warthen said he looked “pretty decent” in those sessions.
“REMEMBER?!” Steven Matz could shout, top of his lungs, to anyone and everyone willing to listen, making sure not to bump his left elbow against a chair. The lefty, who hasn’t pitched since 2014 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, seemed to finally put months of rehab behind him as he flashed his powerful fastball with improved command in his start Monday.
“Remember”, Matt Harvey could tell Jacob deGrom, “thou art mortal”. “That’s the difficulty. We don’t think it’s serious. I’m looking forward to what we have this year”.
Alderson has reason to be concerned.
On the other hand, with fellow outfielders Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce already in place, Michael Conforto was no lock to make the Mets’ Opening Day roster.
Zack Wheeler, who has not pitched an Major League Baseball game since September 2014 due to arm injuries, has been named the team’s No. 4 starter.
Aaron Judge has won the New York Yankees’ right field job and Luis Severino has earned the fourth spot in the starting rotation. Seth Lugo is also in play to take the spot vacated by Matz.
And that’s the recent history the Mets are eager to avoid.
Collins announced his starting rotation for the first three games of the season. The Mets are foolish for putting Wheeler in the rotation to open the season. Owners should target Wheeler as a very capable replacement for Matz while he remains sidelined (and beyond Matz’s return).
