David Lennon columns

The catcher beat initial expectations for a return from knee surgery by more than two weeks. That's more than other injured Mets can say.

Cody Bellinger hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth as the Yankees earned an important win over the Red Sox without Aaron Judge.

The three-time MVP is likely out for two months and perhaps more with a stress fracture in the first rib near his right shoulder.

The Yankees announced late Thursday night that Aaron Judge will be out at least 4-6 weeks with a rib stress fracture

Consider the saber-rattling over the next six to eight months (if we're lucky) a necessary evil toward making sure baseball is played in 2027.

"We're the best team in baseball," Judge reminded his teammates over the weekend

The Yankees' first 12 batters reached base in the third and they sent 18 batters to the plate in the inning. Anthony Volpe almost batted three times!

For now, the Yankees have done a great job turning this positional group into one of the sport's most dangerous lineups.

Any of these marquee names should be considered a difference-maker, but not all are performing that way.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run shot and Ben Rice smashed his 17th homer.

Similar to 2024, the Mets had a 22-31 record after 53 games. However, that's where the similarities end.

Former Ward Melville star Steven Matz, who is 4-1 with a 3.70 ERA this season, said: "I believe that I still have more left in the tank."

Aaron Judge's walk-off homer was his first HR and RBI since May 10 and gave the Yankees their first win over the Rays this season.

Dollar-for-dollar, nobody does it better than tiny-market Tampa Bay (33-15), a franchise that wears its frugality like a badge of honor.

Gerrit Cole knows what it takes to be a reliable, consistent No. 1 pitcher, and he's convinced that Cam Schlittler is no fluke.

David Bednar bounced back on Monday, but Austin Wells has not been contributing as expected.

After a disastrous April, they are 10-5 in May after taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees in an improbable Subway Series at Citi Field.

Bobby Valentine, who led the team to the World Series in 2000, will be inducted into the Mets' Hall of Fame on May 30.

Ben Rice is basically doing Juan Soto-type stuff better than Soto himself this season, at a tiny fraction of the cost ($845,000).

The Mets proved to be little more than a speed bump Friday night for what is fast developing into a potential Cy Young Award season for Cam Schlittler.

Regardless of which borough you're from, the goal of the Subway Series is always to manage expectations.

These Mets have to think big, and after climbing to seven games below .500 (18-25), there could be some real momentum building.

The more David Stearns talked about his team Tuesday, the more the fault boomeranged back at him.

The Mets have a passionate, well-informed fan base that is saddled with a history of disappointment, and not shy about venting that frustration.

Spencer Jones, who was raking down at Scranton with 11 homers, 41 RBIs and a .958 OPS in 33 games, is being promoted to the big-league club.

Over his last 30 games, Aaron Judge had a slash line of .308/.459/.712 while smashing 12 home runs with 24 RBIs.

Brandon Nimmo believes being traded away from the Mets was a baseball decision, but said: "I didn't see anything wrong with the chemistry between the guys."

From his unbridled joy in the booth to his beloved home run calls, the late Yankees broadcaster will always be remembered by fans.

How high on the list are the Yankees . . . how low are the Mets?

There's no reason to take Jose Caballero out of the lineup, and the Yankees won't.

The Orioles slugger homered on Friday night in the Bronx, but he hasn't been tearing it up to start the season.

David Stearns would almost be doing the manager a favor by relieving him from leading this uninspiring group.

Unlike the Phillies, the Mets don't have a Don Mattingly-type talent waiting in the wings.

The axe may fall on the Mets' manager soon, but anyone can agree there are many at fault for team's struggles.

It's only April, but Stearns' gambles this offseason aren't paying off which makes Mets worst team money can buy.

The $341 million shortstop's calf strain is expected to keep him out longer than Juan Soto was out, and that produced a 12-game losing streak.

"We can't sit here and make excuses," Carlos Mendoza said. "It's all part of it. We lost Soto and we had a hard time. We got to figure it out."

Team lacking performance and clubhouse leadership in midst of 12-game losing streak.

Tuesday night saw a 12th consecutive loss for the team, which makes Carlos Mendoza's seat hotter than it has ever been.

The Yankees had Ben Rice and Judge hitting 1-2 on Sunday, and although it worked beautifully, maybe the order should be flip-flopped going forward.

Carlos Mendoza is facing pressure in Flushing despite a vote of confidence from Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.

After a 7-1 start, they've dropped to 10-9 after the Angels bludgeoned them for 13 homers in a four-game series.

Aaron Judge was gracious in dropping the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) label on Mike Trout after Monday night's win at the Stadium.

They finally flexed like the Yankees again, and Judge was back doing Judge things, sooner rather than later.

The names are the same from a year ago, but the numbers are way off.

Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo are others who could haunt them.

They've been outscored 30-9 in their current five-game losing streak.

"We're better than that, they know that," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "They'll be the first ones that will tell you."

Two straight losses to the A's resulted in two runs, five hits and 23 strikeouts. They had one hit in Thursday's loss.

The team pinned the timeline for Soto's return at 2-3 weeks, but it's only April, and a chance to audition some of his understudies could benefit the Mets further down the line.