Steven Matz's start cut short by rain
Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz looks on after the Braves score two runs on a single by Ozzie Albies during the first inning at Citi Field on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Rain ruined what Steven Matz thought was going to be a good day Saturday.
The Long Island lefthander tossed two innings and allowed the Braves two runs in the Mets’ eventual 5-4 loss, but he didn’t return after a 70-minute rain delay.
Manager Mickey Callaway said that as a rule of thumb, after a delay of an hour, “we have to take care of the player.” The hour-plus wait Saturday, plus a long half-inning for the Mets at the plate before the rain came, meant Matz’s intermission was too long.
“He obviously probably thought he could go back out, but we have to be smart about this,” Callaway said.
Matz said: “I was definitely fighting to get back in there, but ultimately obviously they know that that’s what I’m going to want to do. They asked all the coaches and none of them sends a pitcher out after a certain amount of time. And they thought that time was expired.”
Matz struck out three and walked none. During the delay, Matz tried to stay loose, working off the Mets’ mound in the indoor batting cage.
The aborted outing left him annoyed at the circumstances, because he felt so comfortable, despite allowing Ozzie Albies a two-run single on a hard grounder through the left side.
“It’s really frustrating. Honestly, I felt really good on the mound today, I felt really comfortable,” Matz said. “Even though the results in that first inning weren’t there, I felt like I was making good pitches, attacking guys the way I wanted to. I really wanted to get back out there and get in a groove, so yeah, it’s frustrating. Unfortunately, the weather prevents that.”
Rehabbing relievers
Updates on a trio of relievers on the injured list:
- Jeurys Familia (Bennett lesion in right shoulder) might not need another minor-league outing before being activated, Callaway said. Familia tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings for short-season class A Brooklyn on Friday. “He’s doing great,” Callaway said. “Very efficient, threw the ball over the plate, came in today feeling really good.”
- Justin Wilson (left elbow soreness) threw bullpen sessions on Thursday and Friday — doing so on back-to-back days being a significant hurdle — and will throw again Sunday. After that, the Mets will decide on when and where he will re-start a rehab assignment.
- Luis Avilan (left elbow soreness) needs more time in the minors, Callaway said. He has been out since May 4, and the Mets want him to be able to pitch two and even three days in a row before returning. Now with Triple-A Syracuse, Avilan made his third rehab appearance Thursday. He hasn’t pitched on consecutive days yet.
Extra bases
With two off days in the final week of the regular season — Monday and Thursday — Callaway indicated the Mets might tweak their rotation. One option, among the several moving parts: throwing Jacob deGrom against the Yankees on Wednesday. … Michael Conforto is 1-for-his-last-20 after going 0-for-4 with four runners left on base Saturday. The issue is pitch recognition, according to Callaway. “He’s swinging over some balls, just not identifying where it’s going to end up, and he’s not able to square them up quite like he normally does,” Callaway said. … Amed Rosario is hitting .326 (15-46) in his past 13 games.
