Max Scherzer injury the latest storm Mets must weather
New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer reacts after he gestured to the dugout to come out of the game while throwing to St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols during the sixth inning of an MLB baseball game at Citi Field on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
A snowstorm waiting in Colorado? Seriously?
Even for the Mets, a franchise that historically has made the macabre seem almost mundane, that’s a bit over the top this close to Memorial Day. Plus, Buck Showalter & Co. already have enough on their plate, especially after learning Thursday that Max Scherzer is likely out for six to eight weeks due to a “moderate to high-grade” oblique strain.
The timing could not be much worse, either. The Mets are now entering a 31-game stretch against opponents with a combined .552 winning percentage, including 18 of those on the road vs. clubs playing at a .602 clip (136-90 before Thursday). The current travel itinerary starts Friday night at snowy Coors Field before visiting the Giants. Later next month, it’s off to the Dodgers, Padres, Angels and Astros.
It’s a brutal schedule. We won’t go as far as to say this is the make-or-break part of their season, but this month could reveal plenty about this team’s capabilities, one way or the other.
Which is why Pete Alonso’s walk-off blast Thursday in the 10th inning to beat the Cardinals, 7-6, and clinch another series victory (10-1-1 on the season) was as critically important as you can get on May 19. The Mets didn’t just lose their best starting pitcher, a three-time Cy Young winner, when Scherzer went on the IL for only the sixth time in his 15-year career.
The uber-competitive Scherzer has been a compass for these Mets, going far beyond the every-fifth-day bubble most starters inhabit. Coaching up his fellow pitchers, chewing out umpires, just stoking the inner fires of his teammates, whether on the mound or not. Consider that part of the $130 million sticker price the Mets shelled out for a soon-to-be 38-year-old warhorse.
It was a calculated risk. Laying out a record $43.3 million AAV for Scherzer was like drawing two face cards at the blackjack table. The Mets were feeling good about their chances, but Scherzer was no guarantee. There was the hamstring tweak that bumped him from Opening Day, followed by the “zing” that cut short Wednesday’s start and turned into the oblique stunner.
That leaves the Mets down three starting pitchers, counting Jacob deGrom as well as his replacement, Tylor Megill, who was sidelined last week with biceps tendinitis. And yet the Mets boarded the plane Thursday evening, parkas and ski masks in tow, still 12 games over .500 (26-14) with a seven-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East.
“We’re just a bunch of resilient guys,” said Alonso, who hit his third career walk-off homer and leads the majors with 36 RBIs. “We’re gritty and we love to win. We’re tough guys and we’re continuing to fight back.”
As Showalter said afterward, what choice do the Mets have? They can’t stop the season and get off. Despite the roster losses piling up, from deGrom to Megill to Trevor May to James McCann to even Starling Marte having to step away for some of this week due to the passing of the grandmother that raised him. Maybe the Mets were slowed to some degree, grinding through a 6-6 tester before winning these two straight over the Cardinals, but they refuse to be shaken by these recent personnel setbacks.
“It’s kind of what you do -- this is a chance to shine,” Showalter said. “Instead of a chance to pull the dirt around you. This is what you’re supposed to be good at.”
The clubhouse routinely gives credit to GM Billy Eppler for assembling the right pieces this year, but his work is far from finished. At the moment, the Mets seem prepared to go with reliever Trevor Williams (Megill’s replacement) and summon David Peterson for the Scherzer spot.
It’s still a bit early to swing a meaningful trade for a serious rotation piece, maybe plundering the woeful Reds for a Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle, with the deadline not until Aug. 2. But given the murky outlook for both deGrom and Scherzer, Eppler is going to need outside help for the rotation, along with another big bullpen arm and possibly a bat.
The Mets have had better weeks. DeGrom got a promising MRI on Monday, but has yet to climb a mound in his rehab, meaning he’s at least six weeks away from a return and probably more. As for Scherzer, the best medicine for an oblique injury is patience, due to the problematic location and vulnerability to setbacks.
Ideally, Steve Cohen’s checkbook was supposed to have bought another multiple Cy winner for this rotation, then Scherzer turned into an expensive insurance policy for deGrom. Now, the Mets have neither one of their aces, and it’s anyone’s guess who makes it back first.
Not that the Mets can waste any energy thinking about them. They have a blizzard to worry about, and a rough road ahead, without Max on the mound.
“It definitely sucks,” said Chris Bassitt, now the de facto No. 1. “But it’s more just next man up.”
And don’t forget the mittens for Denver.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
