Max Scherzer likely to pitch Friday for the Mets
Max Scherzer throws his first bullpen session at Mets spring training on March 12, 2022, in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After all that, Max Scherzer is back to pitching in the game he had been penciled in for since the day he signed.
He probably will make his Mets debut in the second game of the season, he said Tuesday after what he described as a successful bullpen session. That will be Friday night against the Nationals, his former team, in Washington, D.C.
A recent bout of tightness in his right hamstring had thrust his schedule and season-opening availability into question. But the issue subsided enough, as he anticipated, and he intends to be ready to begin the new baseball year.
Manager Buck Showalter spoke in less definitive terms, saying Scherzer “potentially” will get the ball Friday. That came with the usual caveat that the righthander needs to remain in good health between now and then.
The last hurdle, according to Scherzer, are defensive drills he is scheduled to do Thursday.
“There’s parts of this whole thing,” Showalter said. “How does he feel tomorrow? How does he feel the next day?”
Scherzer — whose three-year, $130 million deal is the largest free-agent contract in Mets history — completed his bullpen session Tuesday morning at the Mets’ Clover Park complex. He said it went well.
“It was good,” the manager agreed.
Instead of doing so in the actual bullpen, Scherzer threw on a mound inside the covered, private batting cages, out of view from reporters. It was not clear why. The Mets recently installed a pair of mounds there at Showalter’s request when he realized there was no spot for pitchers to throw if it rained.
“That’s where he wanted to throw,” Showalter said. “I don’t know. Makes louder noises. Music reverberates more, there’s music in there. I don’t know. I would’ve thrown inside. I think he wanted to make sure that the grounds crew people here didn’t put those mounds in in vain, that we actually used them. I don’t know. Maybe he didn’t want anybody to watch.”
Showalter has declined to name a starting pitcher for Opening Day on Thursday. That had been Jacob deGrom's assignment, but he is out indefinitely due to a right scapula stress reaction. Scherzer “never was going to” potentially pitch that day instead.
Among the Mets’ options: Righthander Tylor Megill and lefthander David Peterson. Either would be pitching on a week of rest.
Of course, the Opening Day question may be irrelevant if the forecast is accurate. Rain is expected most of the day. A postponement would mean Scherzer gets the opener.
“I don’t think that’s a factor yet. The weather is what it is,” Showalter said. “As far as testing Max, if he’s going to do some stuff off a mound, that would be a factor.”
The rest of the starting five is penciled in to be Chris Bassitt (Saturday), Carlos Carrasco (Sunday) and Taijuan Walker (Monday against the Phillies).
Scherzer’s status is one of the final variables in determining the Mets’ initial roster. If he is ready, they likely will go with 14 pitchers (out of 28 active players), Showalter said. If something happens and he isn’t ready, they may go with 15.
The guy tangentially affected is outfielder Travis Jankowski, whom Showalter hinted would be on the team after an impressive spring training. He signed a minor-league deal with the Mets last month.
Jankowski said Tuesday he hadn’t been informed of his status. At minimum, he was headed to D.C., either as part of the taxi squad or active roster.
“One more day,” he said. “What’s another day?”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
