On the New York Mets news front, starting pitcher Robert Gsellman stays hot while Kevin Plawecki is sent down to the minors.
Tuesday afternoon, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals finished their spring game tied at three apiece.
Who Impressed:
Robert Gsellman:
If it was not already written in stone, Robert Gsellman pretty much locked down the last starting rotation spot after yet another stellar performance. Gsellman tossed six innings of three-run ball, but pretty much dominated a solid Cardinals lineup. Aside from one swing of the bat from Mike Adams, the Cardinals mustered four hits and no runs off of Gsellman.
This start capped off a very impressive spring for Gsellman. In 23.1 innings, he allowed just six runs while walking only five and striking out 15. He certainly earned his spot.
Yoenis Cespedes:
Yoenis Cespedes went 2-3 with a triple on Tuesday, but that wasn’t even the highlight of his day. Yo flashed the leather with an acrobatic catch at the wall, robbing Greg Garcia of an extra base hit.
Cespedes is hitting .396 with 5 home runs in 48 at-bats this spring.
Lucas Duda:
Lucas Duda hit a “Duda Smash” to tie the game at three. It appears as if his back is healthy and ready to go.
Injury News:
The Mets got two pieces of good news on Tuesday:
Gold glove center fielder Juan Lagares, who left Saturday’s game with an oblique issue, appears to actually have a legitimate chance to make the opening day roster. The MRI results came back better than expected, and Juan feels “almost 100 percent”.
Lefty Steven Matz threw for back-to-back days after skipping his scheduled start due to elbow soreness. Both sessions went well and the Mets aim to have Matz throw one more time before deciding whether or not he is ready to be on the Opening Day roster.
But, being able to throw consecutive days without an issue is certainly good news for the southpaw.
Roster Moves:
The Mets sent relief pitcher Paul Sewald and catcher Kevin Plawecki to the minors, as they begin to shape their Opening Day roster.
While the pitching situation is certainly still unclear, the Mets catching situation is simplified. Travis d’Arnaud and Rene Rivera will open the season as the only catchers on the Mets depth chart.
What to Watch For on Wednesday:
On Monday, Mets closer Jeurys Familia met with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in regards to his upcoming suspension.
No decision was made Tuesday, but the number of games Familia will be suspended (which, per the New York Times, will be under 30) should be announced very soon.
More News and Notes:
Noah Syndergaard tweets out the SP’s Last Supper photo and may have just come up with the rotation’s latest slogan.
ESNY’s Chris Thomspon argues that if Matt Harvey is back to full form, the Mets will be serious World Series contenders. Through ESNY Video, Nick Durst speaks along the same line.
Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News is reporting that sources are claiming Familia’s suspension will only be 15 games.