Mets may plan to skip starts for Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard
The Mets may limit September innings for Matt Harvey, left, and Noah Syndergaard. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It didn't work with Pedro Martinez in 2007. But the Mets are crafting a plan to skip at least one Matt Harvey and one Noah Syndergaard start before the end of the season to save their innings for late September and a possible postseason.
Manager Terry Collins answered "there's a chance we're going to have to do that" when asked Tuesday if the Mets were going to skip Harvey, who has thrown 154 innings in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
"There's a good chance it's going to be some other guys," Collins added.
The only other starter who is subject to an innings limit is Syndergaard, the rookie who has thrown 1351/3 innings in the minors and majors.
Jacob deGrom, who the Mets have said is not subject to a strict innings limit, is not believed to be part of the plan.
The Mets are trying to keep Harvey and Syndergaard from exhausting their innings before either the end of September or the playoffs.
Although this is a different regime, Mets fans remember 2007, when the team shut down Martinez to give him extra rest and started less-heralded Brian Lawrence and Philip Humber. Their poor performances helped the Mets lose a seven-game lead in the last 17 games and miss the playoffs.
This year, the Mets are planning to use Long Island lefty Steven Matz and Logan Verrett to fill in for their studs. Matz is rehabbing a lat injury in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Verrett was called up Tuesday to help out the bullpen.
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.
