For Mets' Brett Baty, next post-surgery check-up comes with a special request
Mets third baseman Brett Baty reacts after he lined out against the Rockies during the fifth inning of an MLB game at Citi Field. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
When Brett Baty goes back to see his doctor on Thursday for a standard three-week post-surgery follow-up that may bring clarity on whether he plays again this season, he’ll fulfill her special request: Bring a bat.
Dr. Michelle Carlson, the Mets’ hand specialist who repaired the torn ligament in Baty’s right thumb this month, asked him for that in part so she can add it to her collection of sports paraphernalia, he said. But there is also is a practical reason.
“She is going to want to see me grip it and see how it feels and stuff like that,” Baty said.
For now, Baty is still limited with baseball activity, his thumb is still in a splint, and his rehab life is still “always tough” and slow, he said.
But during each of the past several afternoons, more than four hours before first pitch of a game he wasn’t playing in, Baty was at Citi Field, going through the whole infield defense rigmarole with infield coach Joey Cora (as well as fellow third baseman Mark Vientos).
Baty can’t swing or throw, but he can field, so he’s trying to make the best of his relative down time.
“I feel like if I can play third base up here, I can stick up here for a long time,” Baty said. “Just trying to get better over there and trying to work with Joey and see what he sees.
“Any time we’re out there, we’re trying to take it game speed. So just to get in my legs and really feel it and stay low and stay through the throw and stuff like that, even though I’m not throwing. You can just feel your legs under you and make good decisions over there.”
Will Baty play again this season?
The Mets’ third basemen who were injured at the time of his call-up — Eduardo Escobar and Luis Guillorme — are back now, so there might not be a need.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just trying to go hard at the rehab to give me a chance. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. If they need me, I’ll be ready. But we’ll just have to see.”
Megill Monday
The Mets will add another high-powered arm to their bullpen mix when they activate Tylor Megill from the injured list on Monday, manager Buck Showalter said.
Megill, who has been out with a right shoulder strain since mid-June, returned to Citi Field on Saturday with his rehabilitation assignment complete.
Over his final two outings with Triple-A Syracuse, he allowed five hits, six runs, three walks, and a hit batsman in 1 2⁄3 innings. He totaled one strikeout over those outings.
“It’s something that I’m aware of and I’ll look for. I hope it doesn’t happen here,” Showalter said. “It’s almost something you want to see him go through a little bit. The big thing is he’s healthy. He feels good the next day, he feels good when he’s pitching. He’s at the point now where he doesn’t really think about [the injury].”
Megill added: “I feel good, body feels good, ready to go.”
Personnel news
The Mets put righthander Mychal Givens on the IL without an injury designation, which is their way of signaling it is related to COVID-19. Showalter’s euphemism of choice was “non-workplace-related medical issue.”
Givens has a 1.32 ERA in 11 appearances over the past month.
“It’s kind of a moving target how long he will be out,” Showalter said.
Taking his roster spot: righthander Stephen Nogosek, who had been on the IL with a strained left oblique.
One of us
A fun fact about Vientos: Turns out, he is a native of the tri-state area.
He was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, and lived there until he was seven, when his family moved to South Florida, he said recently. He was not born in Pembroke Pines, Florida, where MLB and the Mets had him listed until recently.
Extra bases
Daniel Vogelbach visited the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point on Saturday. He held a Q&A with the baseball team before getting a tour of the campus from pitching coach/recruiting coordinator Lou Bernardi and meeting military leadership at the service academy . . . Joey Lucchesi is “not forgotten” as a potential late-season contributor, Showalter said. He has time for two more rehab starts before Syracuse’s season ends . . . Infielder Deven Marrero, designated for assignment Monday to make room for Guillorme, cleared waivers and was sent back to Syracuse.
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.
