4. deGrom’s Fatigue, Cespedes’s Shoulder
Sandy Alderson has to be ecstatic about how healthy this club has remained since the stretch run to end the regular season. Only Juan Uribe was forced off each postseason roster due to injury, and he might be back in the World Series.
For the guys who haven’t missed time, there are two who have Mets fans a bit worried at the moment.
Firstly, Jacob deGrom. The guy who tied a franchise record in winning three straight postseason games (Jerry Koosman) has been downright filthy. Not filthy in the sense that his stuff is top-notch, but filthy in how he’s completely out-competed the competition.
deGrom has officially arrived as a big-game pitcher this postseason. His sheer will to win starts No. 2 (Dodgers) and No. 3 (Cubs) has solidified his position as the man.
Although, this doesn’t mean everything is roses. deGrom not having his top-notch stuff is worrisome, even to Terry Collins and the rest of the powers that be. So worrisome, that they’re still on the edge of their seats in deciding who should get the Game 1 ball: the deGrominator or Matt Harvey.
deGrom has now ventured into an innings territory he’s never seen before (211 IP in total). He faltered down the stretch of the regular season a bit and these first and second innings to his postseason games garner more worry than wanted.
Perhaps it might be the right move to give deGrom an extra day of rest and allow Harvey to not sit out too long. Fortunately for New York, they’re so loaded with arms it doesn’t really matter who starts the series.
The other guy of note, under the bucket of a little banged up, is Yoenis Cespedes.
Although there are some rumors that Cespedes injured his shoulder playing golf (as it’s no secret the man plays a load of golf, even on gamedays), he denies it.
The fact of the matter is this: His shoulder is injured, but he won’t miss time (aside from the innings he missed in Game 4 of the NLCS). Hopefully, it’s not so banged up that it takes away one of the more important spots in the lineup for the Amazins’.
