Good Morning,
We won’t pretend to be your morning meditation email, but let’s breathe together…
Jacob deGrom’s injury to his right side does not appear to be serious. While he was placed on the 10-Day IL, his MRI proved “clean of any issues.” Meanwhile, the Mets are still in first place, as the Marlins lost last night and the rest of the division was off.
We’ll get you ready for the upcoming series with the Orioles and help Mets fans cope with Jarred Kelenic’s imminent promotion (and likely success). But first, let’s get you caught up on the news.
😮💨 PHEW: An MRI found no structural damage in Jacob deGrom’s right side, so while he was placed on the Injured List, he will be eligible to return as soon as May 21.
ROTATION: Since the Mets have an off day on Thursday, they can bring back Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker as soon as Sunday and Monday of next week, which means they won’t need an extra starter to fill in for deGrom until the middle of next week. Perhaps we could see another bullpen game, which, given the success of the pen so far, suddenly isn’t as scary as it would have sounded a month ago.
🗽 DON’T CALL IT A SETBACK: The Mets moved Carlos Carrasco’s rehab (torn hamstring) from Port St. Lucie to New York, per Tim Healey of Newsday. This will allow him to work with the major league medical staff. Carrasco was recently transferred to the 60-day IL, although the Mets have been careful in characterizing it as a setback, instead calling it a “slower recovery.” The right-hander is eligible to return on May 31.
🚨 COVER YOUR EYES: As seemed inevitable, former Mets #1 draft pick Jarred Kelenic is rumored to be on the verge of a call-up to the Mariners on Thursday. The outfield mega-prospect, traded in the deal for Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano, was reported by Jeff Passan to be headed to Seattle to headline their upcoming home series. (More on this in a minute.)
💸 INSURANCE: The Mets have finalized a two-year, $50 million insurance policy on Francisco Lindor’s contract, per Pat Ragazzo of MetsMerized Online.
📚 ON THIS DATE IN 1972: The Mets acquired Willie Mays for pitcher Charlie Williams and $100,000 in cash. Mays celebrated his 90th birthday last week. The 41-year-old finished his legendary career with the Mets, retiring after 22 seasons in 1973.
⏭ NEXT UP: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
⚾️ MARQUEE MATCHUP: It’s a fun pitching match-up tonight with Marcus Stroman squaring off against left-hander John Means. The Orioles ace will make his first start since pitching a no-hitter against the Mariners last week. Overall, he is 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA, which ranks third behind deGrom and Danny Duffy for the Major League lead.
👀 WHAT 2 WATCH 4: Means is mostly a two-pitch pitcher, throwing his fastball and changeup over 80% of the time. He also has a curveball that he throws to righties and a slider he uses as a put-away pitch to lefties.
OFFSPEED: You will know the Mets have a tough night ahead of them if his changeup is earning strikes and whiffs. That’s the pitch that has turned him from a pretty good pitcher into a top-level starter this season. Luckily, the Mets can stack their lineup with left-handed hitters (including switch-hitters), which should offset the impact of his changeup since he almost exclusively deploys it against righties.
🧹 SWEEPS: After handing the Red Sox their first opening sweep at Fenway Park since 1948, the Orioles have struggled. Boston returned the favor by sweeping them in early April, and again this past weekend, both times in Baltimore.
♞ DARK KNIGHT: As we mentioned yesterday, the Stroman-Means match-up is merely an appetizer for the anticipated return to Citi Field of Matt Harvey tomorrow. He will take the mound against Taijuan Walker.
😴 RESTED: The Mets got a much-needed day off on Monday to rest their bullpen. It allowed Edwin Díaz to rest up after his five-out save on Sunday, as well as Miguel Castro after he tossed 19+ pitches on three of the previous five days. Besides Díaz, Castro, and Jacob Barnes, everyone else has at least two days rest.
Coping with Kelenic: A psychologist’s tips for traumatized Mets fans
🧓 by Blake Zeff
With top prospect Jarred Kelenic on the verge of starting his Mariners career this week, many Mets fans are still having trouble accepting that the Amazin’s had the potential stud locked up for years but traded him away for a questionable return. We know some have moved on, but if you’re still tearing your hair out every time you read about the uber-prospect’s exploits, read on. This feature is for you.
With Kelenic having a chance to develop into a star, you probably don’t want to be enraged and traumatized every time you see headlines about him. With that in mind, we asked Patty Zeff, PsyD, a trauma psychologist (and Mets Fix spouse), for tips on how to cope with Kelenic’s potential rise to stardom without losing your mind. A transcript follows below:
You are a trauma psychologist. Can you please explain what that means?
I’m a licensed clinical psychologist who’s trained in using evidence based therapies for the treatment of PTSD. I started my career working in the VA hospital system where I treated veterans who were experiencing significant trauma following their service.
Obviously this doesn’t compare to serving in the military. However, for some Mets fans, Jarred Kelenic is a very sore subject. Is it normal or healthy to get mad every time we read about him playing well?
Mets fans are ruminating (i.e., having trouble letting go of the past). Maybe some of them feel this is productive, most are probably doing it without even realizing it. We’re not exactly talking Vietnam here, but the idea is that they feel wronged in some way and are having a hard time letting go of the injustice. They are stuck in the “trauma,” and ruminating may give a false sense of control. In reality, this rumination is actually making things much, much worse.
Are there any things you'd recommend we do to get over it? This guy could be showing up in the news every day for the next 15 years.
Absolutely. Mets fans should practice “radical acceptance,” a term that comes from Marsha Linehan’s Dialetical Behavior Therapy. The basic idea is to accept life as it is, warts (or bad trades) and all, rather than fighting to change things that can’t be changed. Stewing in the anger is like putting a layer of suffering on top of the Kelenic-induced pain. We can’t stop bad things from happening in life, but we can control how much suffering we endure from thinking about the bad stuff.
For a Mets fan, what does “radical acceptance” mean, practically? What can we specifically do when we see him hitting home runs and we want to scream?
It’s ok to acknowledge that the situation sucks. But make the choice not to dwell. Distract yourself (put on some music, make a cup of coffee, peruse Mets Fix). Hopefully the sting lessens over time. The more you practice this, the easier it will become because you will see that it works!
One reader told us the way he copes is: "Honestly, the way I am coping is to just fuel my anger and hatred for Brodie van Wagenen and the Wilpons. I’m almost rooting for Kelenic to be Willie Mays just to solidify Brodie and Jeff’s place in Mets history." Is this a healthy way to cope?
Anger can be a big motivator, and that's not always a bad thing. As long as the reader isn't spending most of his time making Wilpon voodoo dolls or throwing darts at a picture of Brodie, this could be a good way to cope.
In your professional opinion (and as the spouse of a Mets fanatic): Do you think we are crazy?
Look, do I think Red Sox fans gained anything from being pissed at Bill Buckner for 20 years? Probably not. But I’m not about to walk into Fenway and say that to anyone. Sports fans aren’t always rational, but that doesn’t make them crazy.
Except maybe you.
⚾️ Former Met third baseman Todd Frazier was designated for assignment by the Pirates. He was hitting just .086 (3-for-35) in limited action so far this season.
⚾️ Former MVP Cody Bellinger has resumed running in his quest to return to the field. The Dodgers star is recovering from a hairline fracture in his left fibula.
⚾️ Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins made the most of the Red Sox use of the shift, legging out a triple on a routine pop up to the left side of the infield.
🔗 MLB Power Rankings: 11. New York Mets, The Athletic ($): “The Mets have treaded water to sit in first place in the struggling NL East thanks to a pitching staff that looks better than expected but now will have to contend with a possible injury to Jacob deGrom; if Lindor’s rebound is a precursor for the rest of the offense, a fictional ratcoon can take its place next to a very real black cat in Mets’ stadium lore.”
🔗 “Mets have to prove dysfunction is in the past,” by Joel Sherman, NY Post: “As long as the deGrom injury is just a start or two, the Mets stand with the Braves for the most talent and depth in the NL East; perhaps even more. They lead the tightly packed division, and could and probably should win it. Yet, these are the Mets, which serves as shorthand to explain dysfunction amid just one division title and two playoff appearances since 2006. It is what holds back a firm embrace of these Mets as the NL East team to beat.”
🔗 Best facial hair baseball card: Keith Hernandez, MLB.com: MLB.com staff and fans chose the best facial hair baseball cards for each team and it’s no surprise for Mets fans: Keith Hernandez, 1986 Topps. “The most famous mustachioed Met.”
And… watch Trevor May take us behind the scenes of a day in the life of a Met, from the weight room to, yes, the nap room:
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I think for any Mets fans born after say 1985 - need to bone up on history of bad trades. Nolan Ryan for Jim Fergosi or Tom Seaver for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman (who ?). No one even knows if Kelenic will be good - If Diaz was any good then the Mets got the better of that trade IMO. But Kelenick was not the worse trade in Mets History