Mets Notebook: Guillorme Begins A Rehab Assignment, Syndergaard’s Plan, Nido Close
The Mets are starting to get healthier.
Infielder Luis Guillorme (hamstring) is set to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.
Guillorme is leading off and playing shortstop tonight. And according to Mets manager Luis Rojas, the plan is for Guillorme to play a total of five innings.
The 26-year-old strained his hamstring running home to score the game-winning run from second base in the Mets’ walk-off victory against the Cincinnati Reds on July 31.
For Guillorme, this is his second stint on the IL this season, as he spent six weeks on the shelf with an oblique strain from late-April to early-June.
Guillorme is slashing .293/.406/.345 with a .751 OPS in 116 at-bats this year.
Syndergaard
Noah Syndergaard is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment in High-A Brooklyn tonight.
And as Rojas said, they are targeting one inning and 20 pitches maximum for Syndergaard in his first outing since being shut down with right elbow inflammation on May 27.
Syndergaard has not pitched in the majors since September 2019 due to March 2020 Tommy John surgery.
Prior to his TJ operation, Syndergaard was a promising starting pitcher for the Mets, who flashed stretches of brilliance at times.
But with just 36 games in the regular season left to go, the Mets are strongly considering bringing him back as a reliever, since it is the fastest way he can rejoin the big-league club without having to fully stretch out.
However, Rojas said they currently don’t have a set plan for Syndergaard at the moment, whether it be ramping him up as a starter or reliever. For now, they are just taking it one outing at a time for him given how much time he has missed.
Additional Injury Updates
Jacob deGrom played catch from 50-feet for the second straight day on Thursday, as he attempts to come back from right elbow inflammation that has kept him sidelined for the entire second-half of the season.
“That’s the progression,” Rojas said. “He’s going to keep going further and further each day. No complaints.”
The Mets are optimistic that backup catcher Tomas Nido (thumb) can come off the IL on Friday, per Rojas. If not, he will likely join the team on Saturday.
As for catcher No. 1 in James McCann, Rojas says he is doing a lot better, but is still experiencing tightness and remains day-to-day.
Without McCann or Nido, Patrick Mazeika has received the bulk of the playing time with Chance Sisco backing him up. In his first four games, Mazeika started off 4-for-14, but is 0 for his last 10 since.
In other news, relief pitcher Robert Gsellman has started a throwing progression and is expected to throw off the slope this weekend, per Rojas.
Gsellman has not pitched for the Mets since June 19 with a right lat strain. The right-hander had a 3.71 ERA as a long reliever out of the Mets bullpen across 26.2 innings.
First baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez’s rehab assignment is about to come to a head, as he will reach the 20-day maximum on Friday. The Mets will have a decision to make whether they are going to bring him up as a right-handed bat to help against left-handed pitchers, or activate him from the major-league injured list and option him to the minors.
They will also have two additional spots open up once rosters expand on September 1. The Mets’ offense has struggled mightily against lefties this year, and Martinez has a .307/.382/.534 slash line when facing southpaws in his career.
And last but not least, Rojas was asked about left-handed pitcher David Peterson who has been on the IL since July 2.
While Peterson initially went down with an oblique strain, he suffered a fractured foot while walking through the Mets’ clubhouse on July 23, which required surgery.
Peterson is currently on the 60-day IL, and albeit Rojas saying he is feeling better, there is no new information on his status.
