Jordan Yamamoto impresses again as Mets prepare to open without Carlos Carrasco
Mets starting pitcher Jordan Yamamoto throws during the second inning of a spring training game against the Nationals on March 8 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to play catch on Sunday. That might be the most important game of catch for the Mets this spring training when it comes time to finalize their Opening Day pitching staff.
Manager Luis Rojas on Saturday continued to downplay Carrasco’s bout with elbow soreness, which he said is something the veteran has dealt with in the past. Carrasco, who felt the soreness after throwing a live batting-practice session on Monday, hasn’t pitched an inning in spring training and seems unlikely to be ready for the first week of games.
With seven games scheduled for the first eight days of the season, the Mets will need five starters. Candidates for the last two spots (assuming Carrasco isn’t ready) include lefthanders David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi and righthanders Jordan Yamamoto and Jerad Eickhoff.
"Let's see what happens with the progression with Carrasco," said Rojas, who returned to the club after missing Friday’s game for personal reasons. "But, certainly, even with that, we're evaluating our starters and we get into it, to the depth."
Yamamoto made his second start and third appearance of spring training on Saturday night in the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Nationals at West Palm Beach. The righthander continued his impressive camp as he allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings. It was the first earned run he has allowed this spring. Yamamoto gave up two hits and struck out two against Washington’s "A" lineup.
In his last outing, Yamamoto made a fielding error that led to two unearned runs. He wasn’t going to let that happen if a ball was hit his way this time.
"New glove," he said. "No errors in that glove . . . I was breaking it in at home, hitting it with a mallet, making sure I don’t miss those ground balls anymore."
The Mets acquired the 24-year-old from Miami on Feb. 1 for a minor-leaguer. In 2020, he went 0-1 with an 18.26. ERA in four games (three starts). His career numbers are 4-6, 6.20.
Yamamoto said Carrasco’s injury "doesn't change anything. I'm still out there to compete and I’m still out to prove that I belong in the big leagues. That I don’t want to go anyplace else. I’ve had that little bit of time of going up and down and I do not like that. It’s one of those things that you get a taste of it and you want to stay and that’s where I want to stay — the big leagues."
Peterson, who will start against St. Louis on Sunday, has pitched two shutout innings in one appearance, as has Lucchesi. Eickhoff gave up four runs in two innings in his only game action. All three pitchers have gotten the bulk of their work so far in intrasquad games.
Extra bases
Edwin Diaz, who hit 100 mph with his fastball, struck out two in a perfect inning. In three outings, Diaz has faced nine batters and retired them all with five strikeouts . . . Less than a week after Jeff McNeil made three errors at third base, Jonathan Villar made two and prospect Mark Vientos added a third at the position. Vientos’ came during the Nationals’ two-run bottom of the ninth. Washington won on Yasmany Tomas’ two-out walk-off single.
Trainer’s room
Rojas said Tomas Nido, who fouled a ball off his left foot on Thursday and was scratched from Friday’s lineup, is day-to-day and could DH on Sunday before returning to catching next week . . . Rojas said OF/1B Jose Martinez had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to be out four months.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
