Danny Abriano

Happy David Wright day!

Snapped this picture of him after he exited his last game ever on Sept. 29, 2018

He came strolling through the area outside the press box and said “what inning are we in?”

Mets’ reliance on bullpen games is flawed and costly, and must end now While keeping Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat in the minors, the Mets cost themselves two games in the past week by deploying a bullpen game strategy.

Hi, good morning

Enough with the bullpen games

Brandon Sproat fired 7.0 shutout innings tonight for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing three hits, walking none, and striking out three

He hasn’t allowed a run over his last three starts

Would’ve been interesting to see what he could’ve done Sunday vs. Yankees or today vs. Orioles

Ronny Mauricio is starting to get comfortable at the plate

He’s reached base safely in his last nine games

During that span, he’s hitting .370/.452/.556 with one homer, two doubles, six runs scored, two RBI, and four walks

OPS for the season is up to .720 (107 OPS+)

Mets vs. Yankees: 5 things to watch and Subway Series predictions | July 4-6 Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Yankees play the three-game Subway Series at Citi Field.

Here are five things to watch as the Mets and Yankees play the Subway Series at Citi Field

Included in here: Brandon Sproat really should be an option to start on Sunday

Mets are so close to having Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Jesse Winker back

They just need to persevere without them for a bit longer

4-4 over their last 8 games is baby steps toward stabilizing things after that awful stretch

Carlos Mendoza said Sean Manaea was *not* in consideration to pitch Sunday vs Yankees

So plan is:

Manaea pitches tonight

Manaea makes another rehab start next Tuesday, because there are no minors games on Monday

So earliest he’ll return is July 13, day before All-Star break

After Mets fell behind in 6th inning, here’s what they did at the plate:

13 batters
41 pitches
0 hits
0 walks

The only runner was a Pete Alonso HBP

This has been a theme during the 3-14 stretch

Mets fall behind, Mets don’t fight back

Nolan McLean last pitched on June 27 for Triple-A Syracuse

Brandon Sproat last pitched on June 28

Theoretically, in world where Mets consider calling either of them up, McLean could start Friday or Sunday

Same goes for Sproat

Currently Blackburn on Friday and TBD for Sunday

Mets have David Peterson listed as tomorrow’s starter against Brewers, so seemingly no plan to call someone up for tomorrow and push Peterson back

Mets need someone to fill in on Sunday

Current outlook vs. Yankees:

Friday: Paul Blackburn
Saturday: Frankie Montas
Sunday: TBD

Unless Mets alter rotation or do bullpen game, they’ll need spot starter Sunday vs Yankees

That’s because tonight’s postponement pushes Holmes (who would’ve started tonight & Sunday) to tomorrow

Options on 40-man for Sunday:

Waddell
Hagenman

Non 40-man options:

McLean
Sproat

Here’s how Mets’ rotation should evolve over the next few weeks, barring more injuries…

Current:

Peterson
Blackburn
Montas
Holmes
Tidwell

In about 10 days:

Peterson
Manaea
Montas
Holmes
Tidwell/Blackburn

Around the ASG:

Senga
Peterson
Manaea
Montas
Holmes

Juan Soto in 109 plate appearances over 25 games since May 30:

BA: .333
OBP: .486
SLG: 774
HR: 11
RBI: 20
Runs: 24
BB: 24

His OPS for the season is up to .899

Soto is now on pace to finish season with 38 homers

He’s also pacing to be an All-Star

Remember when he was sad?

He can come back on July 5

Apropos of nothing, but the fact that Jonah Tong hasn’t been promoted to Triple-A Syracuse yet is wild

In 67 innings over 13 starts, here’s what Tong has done:

1.75 ERA
0.91 WHIP
31 hits
107 strikeouts (14.4 per nine)

He’s toying with hitters at the level he’s at

Jesse Winker sliding to the 60-day IL is a paper move to fit Frankie Montas on the 40-man roster

Winker landed on the IL on May 5

It’s June 24

There was no shot he was returning before July 5

He’s making progress, though. Was running on the field yesterday

Dicky Lovelady is the second Dicky in Mets history

Let’s not forget Dicky Gonzalez, who pitched for the Mets in 2001

Dicky Lovelady will be the Grimace event for the 2025 Mets

Phillies’ schedule is very difficult in 18 games between now and All-Star break, so it would behoove the Mets to snap out of it now — they’ll likely be able to do some damage in standings if so

Phils from today through 7/13

3 @ HOU
3 @ ATL
3 vs SD
3 vs CIN
3 @ SF
3 @ SD

Mets picked an interesting time to option Francisco Alvarez to the minors

Coming off a 2-for-5 performance with a 450-foot homer

But his overall offensive production — and defensive shortcomings lately — were obviously a huge issue

Legacy media is failing on an epic level re: how US strikes on Iran are being covered

This was an unnecessary, wildly dangerous act of war done without congressional approval, despite DNI saying Iran wasn’t close to having nuclear weapon

That’s the story here. Wake up

Here’s something that makes Mets not turning to Starling Marte in place of Jared Young leading off the 10th inning last night even more puzzling…

Marte has reached base 13 times in his last 29 plate appearances

Truly bizarre that he wasn’t called on in that spot

Carlos Mendoza's questionable late moves helped doom Mets in maddening loss to Braves The Mets suffered a preventable loss to the Braves on Tuesday night in Atlanta, letting an 4-1 lead slip away in the eighth inning before failing to come through in extras.

Carlos Mendoza has been terrific for Mets

But two questionable decisions he made last night contributed to maddening loss to Braves

1. Reed Garrett should’ve been ready when 8th inning started
2. Starling Marte should’ve hit for Jared Young in 10th

Mets will need someone to fill in for Tylor Megill on Friday against the Phillies

Nolan McLean last pitched on June 14, meaning he would be lined up for that start

Mets could always turn to Brandon Waddell or an opener

But McLean is certainly an intriguing option

If Kodai Senga misses time, it’ll suck

Sucks more because that injury didn’t have to happen

But Mets have more than enough depth to make up for his absence if he hits IL

Blackburn
Montas (after one or two more rehab starts)
Manaea (in a few weeks)
McLean
Sproat
Tidwell

David Peterson shutout

The last time I felt that kind of energy at a random weeknight Mets game in June — at Shea stadium or Citi Field — is never

There’s been a lot less between pitches music tonight at Citi Field

Letting the game breathe a lot more, which is perfect considering how invested and buzzy the crowd is

Seeing lots of “look what Jeff McNeil is doing in June* stuff

How about what McNeil is doing *this year*

In 128 plate appearances over 36 games, he is hitting 266/359/532 with an 891 OPS & career-best 154 OPS+

McNeil being an impact bat could take Mets’ lineup to another level

Is Juan Soto still sad or nah?

Broken toe?

More like broken tie, amirite?