Injured Mets Michael Conforto and Josh Smoker make progress in rehab outings while crosstown trade chatter is starting to pick up.
Fans of the St. Lucie Mets, New York’s High-A affiliate in the Florida State League, didn’t get to see Michael Conforto and Tim Tebow play alongside each other in the outfield Thursday night.
But they did get to see Conforto, who will participate in his first MLB All-Star Game next Tuesday in Miami, do what he does best – annihilate opposing pitching.
Conforto went 3-for-4 with a RBI double and run scored, walking once and striking out once. Clearly, the bruised left hand that landed the 24-year-old on the disabled list is no longer bothering him.
He was joined in St. Lucie’s game by 28-year-old reliever Josh Smoker, who has been sidelined since mid-June with a strained left shoulder. Smoker threw 16 pitches in a scoreless inning of relief, allowing an infield single while striking out one.
For those wondering, Tebow, who served as the team’s designated hitter, finished the game 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and RBI. He’s now hitting .345 in 10 games for St Lucie.
Are the Mets Bringing (Big) Sexy Back?
The answer…is maybe.
The club reached out to Colon Thursday afternoon after he officially became a free agent. But according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the veteran starter wasn’t expected to make a decision about his future until Friday.
Colon was downright dreadful for Atlanta this season, going 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA and 1.78 ERA over 13 starts. But the portly 44-year-old was terrific for the Mets in 2016, going 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 34 appearances (33 starts).
Whether a return to Citi Field will help Colon rediscover his former glory is anyone’s guess. But if the Mets can bring back a fan favorite at the league minimum (or something close to it), it’d be hard to blame the team for taking a chance.
At the very least, bringing “Big Sexy” back should placate the fan base for a little while – until he gets lit up at home, that is.
Something’s Brewing in Right Field
Danish brewer Mikkeller, the brand responsible for the “Henry Hops” and “Say Hey Sally” beers which have been available at Citi Field since Opening Day, plan on taking their partnership with the Mets to a new level.
They’re going to open a brewery down the right field line.
The brewery will occupy roughly 10,000 square feet, 6,000 of which will be dedicated to a bar and restaurant that will feature 60 different beers on tap. The other 4,000 will be dedicated to making those frosty adult beverages.
Presumably, Mikkeller, which currently brews “Henry” and “Sally” at its brewery in San Diego, California, will shift production of those brews to Flushing.
Plans are for the establishment to be open year round once it’s completed sometime this fall.
Lucas Duda On the Move…To the Bronx?
The Mets have discussed a potential trade involving Lucas Duda with the New York Yankees, a team source tells ESNY’s Christian Kouroupakis, adding that “complications exist.”
Duda would certainly bring some stability to the Yankees first-base situation, which has been tenuous at best for much of the season.
It’s fair to speculate, however, whether those complications involve what the Mets would get back in a deal or with Duda’s medicals.
What’s On Deck
The Mets travel to St. Louis to begin their final series of the season’s first half Friday night.
Jacob deGrom (8-3, 3.55 ERA), whose Wednesday start against Washington was rained out, will get the ball for the Mets. He’ll be opposed by Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez (6-7, 3.14 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Other Mets News, Stories
- ESNY’s Justin Weiss shares the news that Baseball Prospectus ranked Mets shortstop prospect Amed Rosario as the second-best prospect in all of baseball in its mid-season rankings.
- Mets pitching prospect Nabil Crismatt is a player that fans should be getting excited about, writes ESNY’s Rick Weiner.