The Mets are leading the world in costly victories. This is a weird thing to get used to, but that’s twice now this season — really thrice if you count Jenrry Mejia’s disappearing act on opening day — where the Mets came away with a big win at a big cost. Today it was Jerry Blevins and Travis d’Arnaud going down with broken bones within 15 minutes of one another.
I’m sure the Mets will miss both of them; I feel like personally sending d’Arnaud a get-well card; he was looking like a legitimate All-Star and certainly one of the chief reasons the loss of David Wright to injury hasn’t been the blow I feared it could be. Suddenly though, we’ve got a lineup without him and Wright, and before long using Eric Campbell as your cleanup hitter is going to show.
I’m confident Kevin Plawecki is a nice hitter but as we saw with d’Arnaud, the ascension is rarely steady. Anyway, Plawecki will be a Met on Tuesday. They’re holding No. 22 for him.
Blevins was great too, but relief pitching is such a crapshoot. I suppose the Mets now turn to Alex Torres to get out Freddy Freeman next week. Alex and his giant hat might inspire a giggle but the way he’s handled Christian Yelich this weekend was the kind of thing that can make a good impression on a guy like Terry). The guy they’ve recalled in the meantime, Hansel Robles, is a righthander and off to a very good start in Las Vegas (reportedly throws 98 MPH gas). He wore No. 67 in Spring Training: He’d be the first 67 in regular-season history if he retains it but with numbers as common as 30, 32 and 34 sitting around unissued I suppose its anyone’s guess.
Eh, screw it. I say he becomes the first 67 ever.
Speaking of milestones I was reminded by Gordon in the comments section that we’re approaching the 1,000th Met ever, faster than we would have guessed even. Danny Muno., by our and Gordon’s count, was No. 990; Plawecki and Robles should take us to 992 and form there…?
Who’s your guess? And when?
Newly arriving reliever Eric O’Flaherty is reportedly suiting up in No. 44 and as my pal Greg says, let’s hope he’s tougher on lefties than his predecessor in that jersey, the late John Mayberry Jr.
In the meantime, keep your eye on the Mets’ starting rotation, which is expected at this time to slot in a 6th starter next time around. Speculation in the radio booth last night said it could be minor league teammates Dillon Gee and Logan Verrett competing for that — and next issue of No. 35. I’d guess at this point that Gee has the inside the inside track to the start, while Verrett, as a member of the 40-man roister, has a rightful claim on 35. But still it would weird to see Gee wearing 54. Baseball’s a funny game.
