Mets GM Zack Scott not focused on whether Rojas will be back as manager
Manager Luis Rojas #19 of the Mets walks on the field before a game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Saturday, April 10, 2021. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Steve Cohen, Sandy Alderson and Zack Scott were not around when the Mets hired Luis Rojas as manager before the 2020 season.
So it’s normal to wonder if this season will be a referendum on Rojas because his contract has only a non-guaranteed team option for 2022.
"Quite honestly, I'm just trying to get to know Luis," Scott, the acting general manager, said on Friday. "So far, it's been really good. I've enjoyed our relationship. But I view -- not specific to Luis -- I view my role here as doing a lot of assessments of kind of how things work, understanding what has been the process with certain [things] behind the scenes and how can we make that better quickly, how can we make things better longterm. So there's always assessing going on. No, it's not something I'm focused on. I know it's not something Luis is focused on. We're focused on winning on the field."
Extra bases
Brandon Nimmo returned to the lineup for Friday’s game against the Nationals after not starting for two games because of a sore hip. J.D. Davis, who made three errors in the first two games of the Cubs series and didn’t start on Thursday, was back in the lineup as well. Jacob deGrom hit eighth with catcher Tomas Nido ninth . . . Scott said Carlos Carrasco (hamstring) will make a rehab start at the alternate site on Saturday. Seth Lugo (elbow surgery) is throwing off a mound and is on track to debut next month. Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) is progressing well enough that June is still a reasonable estimate for his return. Dellin Betances (shoulder impingement) is not close to throwing . . . Stephen Tarpley was recalled from the alternate site and Joey Lucchesi was sent down . . . Scott on if the Mets have reached MLB's 85% vaccination threshold to have some COVID-19 restrictions lessened: "No, we have not."
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.
