BALTIMORE — After using more pitchers than any other team over the first 91 games of the season, the beleaguered Mets‘ staff finally appears to be on the mend. The injury bug hasn’t left the Mets clubhouse just yet, with Starling Marte being placed on the 10-day injured list with an injured right knee, but Jesse Winker was activated Tuesday, and starting pitchers Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are penciled in to make their returns on the team’s six-game road trip this week.
Senga is slated to pitch Friday night in the series opener in Kansas City. Manaea will throw his last rehab game Tuesday night and pitch Sunday on regular rest against the Royals. Thursday’s starter in Baltimore is yet to be determined, but the Mets could use right-hander Justin Hagenman to start against the Orioles, or they could use him as the bulk guy behind an opener as they did Sunday against the Yankees.
Manager Carlos Mendoza cautioned that the pitching matchups are tentative and dependent on health.
“We’ll see how the next few days go,” he said Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards. “But that’s the plan as of right now.”
Manaea (right oblique strain) will throw 70-75 pitches with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday night to be available for regular rest Sunday. Senga will throw a bullpen Tuesday. Clay Holmes, Tuesday night’s starter against the O’s could pitch in Sunday’s game as well to stay fresh during the All-Star break. This could be in the form of a piggyback situation, but the Mets are still trying to figure out the best course of action.
“That’s the conversation we’re having,” Mendoza said. “Clay obviously [has come out of the bullpen], Sean has done it, so we like whoever goes out there. But again, let’s get through today, tomorrow, and then we’ll make that decision.”
Senga (right hamstring strain) isn’t expected to be on an innings limit or a pitch count, but the Mets do have a number in mind.
Marte missed part of last season with the same injury. The trainers called it a bone bruise, but Marte himself said imaging showed structural damage that needed to heal last summer. However, he returned for the postseason and wasn’t bothered by the knee. The Mets were cautious with him during spring training, working him into games slowly citing an attempt to avoid re-aggravation.
However, it appears to be minor this time around. While no imaging has been done yet, the Mets the outfielder back after the All-Star break. Marte had a gel injection in his knee and will be shut down from baseball activities for a few days before undergoing imaging over the weekend in Kansas City.
Winker returned to the lineup Tuesday after having been sidelined since early May with an oblique strain. He hit fifth behind Pete Alonso against right-hander Brandon Young.
“Just had to go get some swings in and just get back out in the field, run around,” Winker said, “Got it back to a good spot, and I’m just happy to be back.”
A left-handed bat in the middle of the order, Winker brings energy to the lineup and the dugout. A fan favorite, Winker was playing well as the DH at the time of his injury. In the 13 games prior, he hit .397 with an .873 OPS, a home run, four doubles, five RBI, a stolen base and six walks over 44 plate appearances.
“It’s funny how things work, right? You gain one, you lose one,” Mendoza said of Marte going on the IL and Winker getting activated. “But it’s a big bat, especially from the left side, and you know what you’re going to get at the plate. I’m excited to have him back in the lineup.”
ROSTER MOVES
Right-handed starter Tylor Megill was moved to the 60-day injured list Tuesday. There were no setbacks in his recovery from an elbow sprain and he continues to play catch, but it gives the Mets some roster flexibility while he works his way back.
Right-hander Zach Pop was designated for assignment and the Mets replaced him on the roster with right-hander Alex Carrillo, a 28-year-old who played independent baseball and in the Mexican league before the Mets signed him to a minor league contract in November.
The club scouted him while he was playing in the Venezuelan Winter League last year. Mendoza, a native Venezuelan, received a call from someone he knew there informing him of Carrillo’s velocity.
“He’s like, ‘hey, man, there’s a kid here throwing 100 and he’s got like 6-7 appearances around the league. There’s a lot of talk, so might want to even give it a chance,’” Mendoza said.
Carrillo, who posted a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings in Double-A and allowed no earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in Triple-A, could become the 36th different pitcher to take the mound for the Mets this season.
