Six weeks ago, Noah Syndergaard, Yeonis Cespedis, and Steven Matz were lumped together on many fantasy baseball lists as must have players. They are once again listed together. This time the listing isn’t desirable. The studs are part of the New York Mets ever growing, costly disabled list after one month of play.
Once David Wright, Wilmer Flores, Lucas Duda and pitcher and Seth Lugo are included, Mets salaries on the DL are higher the 25-roster salaries of the A’s, Brewers, Rays, Reds or Padres team salaries, according to Sportrac.
Same old tune
Mets management claims it doesn’t have a clue that the injury bug has hit the team.
Cepedis, Lugo and Matz also missed parts of 2016 on the DL. Matz’ season ended in August. Syndergaard missed a start April 27, because he said wasn’t "right," i.e. the hurler had a sore arm.
Should the team that has invested $17.2 million in the 24-year-old have forced the kid to take an MRI before pitching April 30 and tearing his torn right lat muscle? If Syndergaard was a lone example, that would be one thing, but Thor looks like he is just the latest Mets' phoenix extinguished.
2013 rising star Matt Harvey might never fully recover from the thoracic surgery he had last July. He’s posted a 5.14 ERA and allowed seven home runs in six starts this year. Harvey has struck out 20 in 35 innings.
In Harvey’s last healthy season, 2015, he averaged a strike out per inning and posted an ERA of close to 3 before the All Star game, according to the New York Times.
R.A.Y. List
Cespedes left a game with tightness in his left hamstring April 20. The Mets didn't place him on the 10-day DL. The schedule and weather provided more rest.
The outfielder needed help, leaving the field in his second game back. Cespedes followed a similar pattern last year.
Mets fans trace the injury bug back more than a decade. One created a R.A.Y. list in honor of the team’s long-time trainer Ray Ramirez. It goes like this: injured Mets rest for a few days have a few pinch hit appearances then the Mets finally place worse hurt players on the DL.
The Mets signed Ramirez for the Hospital for Special Surgery and turned back to Dr. David Altchek as the team’s medical director after the 2004 season. The team experienced a couple of errors dealing with concussions by Ryan Church and Jason Bay in 2008 and 2010. Wright played with an undiagnosed broken back for weeks in 2011. After his first start in 2015, Matz complained of discomfort in his arm. He was on the DL after his second start with a similar injury to Syndergaard, according to the Times.
The handling, or mishandling, of Syndergaard and Cespedes have many calling for Ramirez’ scalp and New York GM Sandy Alderson defending the team’s training system. Some Big Apple scribes are counting the Mets out in early May.
