Tylor Megill starts recovery with long toss
Tylor Megill of the Mets pitches in the first inning against the Nationals at Nationals Park on May 11 in Washington. Credit: Getty Images/Greg Fiume
SAN FRANCISCO — Tylor Megill has started playing long toss, a standard but important step in his recovery from right biceps tendinitis.
The Mets have not given any indication how long they expect Megill to be out. But he is not particularly close to returning and will not be activated Friday, the first day he is eligible. After advancing to the mound and throwing bullpen sessions, he will need at least one rehab start, manager Buck Showalter said recently.
“It’s good news,” Showalter said Monday. “It sounded like he was progressing well today.”
Megill is not currently with the Mets, having stayed back in New York during this road trip that runs through Wednesday.
Buck's the birthday boy
The Mets celebrated Showalter’s 66th birthday Monday by gathering in the visitors’ batting cage at Oracle Park, putting on party hats and turning out the lights. Eduardo Escobar led a blindfolded Showalter to that room. Cheering and singing ensued. Showalter took a baseball bat to a pinata, inciting more cheering.
Personnel news
Bench coach Glenn Sherlock will be the Mets’ third-base coach while Joey Cora is absent. He left the team Sunday to tend to a family matter. Sherlock previously had that job with the Mets (2017-18) and Diamondbacks (2004, 2014).
Dick Scott, a coordinator in the player-development department, joined the major-league club to assist the coaching staff.
Minors details
Francisco Alvarez was No. 7 on MLB Pipeline’s new list of the top 100 prospects.
The other Mets: Brett Baty (22rd) and Ronny Mauricio (73rd). (The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, whom the Mets traded for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams last year, got in at No. 97.)
Of the three (remaining) Mets, all of whom are with Double-A Binghamton, Mauricio, a shortstop, has the best offensive numbers this year. He has a .270/.302/.496 slash line with six homers and 24 RBIs but 41 strikeouts to six walks.
Extra bases
J.D. Davis was the Mets’ DH for a fourth time in five games Monday. But Showalter said Dominic Smith, who has started just two of the past seven games, would be in the lineup “the next couple days.” . . . The Mets sent righthander Jake Reed down to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for David Peterson, who started against the Giants . . . The Mets sent righthander Jake Reed down to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for David Peterson, who started against the Giants.
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.
