Shintaro Fujinami's spring-training debut for Mets pushed back a day because of rain
The Mets are hoping relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami will make his debut Thursday after Wednesday was a washout. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Shintaro Fujinami’s spring-training debut will wait another day.
He was scheduled to pitch an inning for the Mets against the Astros on Wednesday, but the teams canceled the game because of rain.
“The field wasn’t in the best condition,” Houston manager Joe Espada said.
Instead, Fujinami will pitch Thursday against the Nationals.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said a rainout would cause the Mets to push their starting pitchers back a day — Jose Quintana to Thursday, Luis Severino to Friday — to keep everybody on schedule and get them their desired work.
With on-and-off storms in the forecast, the Mets delayed their bus departure time until late morning for the game about 50 minutes south of their Port St. Lucie complex. They made that drive, but then the game got called shortly after the scheduled first pitch time.
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.
