On-Base Perception

Zack Wheeler showed why he's considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.

In his season debut with Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday night, Wheeler needed just three pitches to strike out Sacramento second baseman Jemile Weeks, the first batter he faced in the game. His fastball topped out at 98 mph and he showed the touch with his curveball that has left some scouts raving.

But...

Mets pitcher Shaun Marcum is day-to-day following an MRI exam on Thursday that revealed nerve inflammation in his neck. Marcum had come to New York to be examined by team doctors though the club announced that the pitcher was sent back to the team's complex in Port St. Lucie.

According to the club, Marcum will be shut down for 48 hours after he underwent trigger-point injections, which are...

The Mets may be faced with calling up Aaron Laffey to plug another hole in the starting rotation.

But a source said that the Mets had little interest in a reunion with righthander Chris Young, who had been available until Thursday afternoon, when he signed a minor league deal with the Nationals. While the Mets discussed the idea, the source said club stopped short of making an offer.

Young,...

It's Dinosaur Education Day here on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. Naturally, there's a 15-foot T-Rex along with a 17-foot animatronic hadrosaurus roaming the field right now. I suspect there's a joke to be made about the Yankees roster. But I'll pass. Anyway, back to the Mets...

-- Second baseman Daniel Murphy is out of the starting lineup as the Mets go for the three-game sweep of the...

Matt Harvey won his first decision at Citi Field in dominant fashion. On a windswept evening against the Padres, Harvey struck out 10 batters in his 2013 debut, leading the Mets to an 8-4 victory. A look back at the pitcher's tremendous start on Wednesday night, courtesy of the invaluable BrooksBaseball.net:

-- Harvey had his fastball working against the Padres. Despite the frigid temperatures,...

Shaun Marcum is headed to New York to be examined by team doctors on Thursday, Mets manager Terry Collins said during his pregame media briefing on Wednesday. The veteran righthander is unlikely to make his scheduled start against the Marlins on Sunday, an assignment that will likely fall to lefty Aaron Laffey.

Marcum, 31, has dealt with a variety of maladies in spring training. This time,...

Mets relievers Greg Burke and Scott Rice have emerged as two of the best underdog stories of the spring.

A year ago, Burke made a snap decision to turn himself into a submarine-style pitcher, a last-ditch effort to get back to the big leagues since his only prior stint in 2009.

A year ago, Rice watched the Dodgers' team bus pull away without him, after he had been informed he would begin...

Shaun Marcum's latest injury setback may force the Mets to deploy their Plan C.

Marcum felt pain in his neck while warming up for a simulated game in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday, the club announced, which forced him to abandon the throwing session.

The club said Marcum's status will be reassessed on Wednesday, though it appears unlikely that the veteran righthander will be ready in time...

Part of the new charm of Opening Day is the wave of "on-pace" references that flood social media.

For instance, the Nationals' Bryce Harper hit a pair of homers to lead the Nationals to victory, which naturally led to predictions of a 324-homer season. The Yankees got drubbed by the Red Sox, putting them on track for the game's first 0-162 campaign. And Mets' third baseman David...

The Lon Warneke Award for best starting pitching: Clayton Kershaw

This award is named for the Cubs Opening Day pitcher on April 17, 1934. Warneke pitched a complete game, allowing one-hit and walking two while striking out 13. Warneke had a solid career – 192-121, 3.18 ERA – but we’re confident the lefty we picked will be even better.

Dodgers’ southpaw Clayton Kershaw allowed four hits,...