Mets Morning News for March 19, 2023

Mar 19, 2023 - 1:00 PM

Meet the Mets

The Mets beat the Astros 2-0 in Grapefruit league play yesterday. Max Scherzer pitched seven shutout innings in the victory.

Billy Eppler announced yesterday that Brandon Nimmo has low-grade sprains in his ankle and knee and is considered week-to-week.

The Mets made another round of spring training cuts, optioning Ronny Mauricio and Joey Lucchesi to Triple-A and reassigning outfielders Abraham Almonte and Jaylin Davis to minor league camp. William Woods, Hayden Senger, and Lorenzo Cedrola have also been reassigned to minor league camp.

Mets reliever David Robertson does not like the pitch clock.

Max Scherzer organized a crawfish boil as a team bonding event.

The Mets were one of ten teams to attend Zack Britton’s showcase on Friday, though the level of interest the Mets have in the veteran reliever is unknown.

Around the National League East

MLB.com published their NL East preview.

Former top prospect Mark Appel wrote a Twitter thread about being a player on the fringes and facing the reality that his career may soon be over—a preview of his new blog “The Journal.”

The Braves bested the Phillies 5-1 behind a good day at the plate for Orlando Arcia.

The Good Phight explored how Scott Kingery fits on the Phillies’ roster.

The Marlins beat the Nationals 7-0, as Sandy Alcántara struck out five batters in 5 ²⁄₃ innings of work.

No one is harder on MacKenzie Gore than he is on himself, writes Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.

Around the World Baseball Classic

Trea Turner’s eighth inning grand slam propelled Team USA to a 9-7 comeback victory over Venezuela to secure a semi-final berth in the World Baseball Classic.

Unfortunately, Jose Altuve had to leave the game in the fifth inning after being hit in the hand with a Daniel Bard fastball. There is concern that he has a broken thumb, but the Astros will provide an official update sometime today.

Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com ranked the ten greatest games in World Baseball Classic history.

Around Major League Baseball

Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com takes a look at baseball’s breakout candidates for 2023.

Michael Baumann of FanGraphs looked at Michael Fulmer’s adjustment to a bullpen role.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

We introduced our new podcasting enterprise: Home Run Applesauce, part of the Fans First Sports Network.

And we posted our first podcast under our new name—an emergency pod discussing Edwin Díaz’s injury and how it affects the Mets.

This Date in Mets History

As the Mets go through a couple of days of bad injury news, we remember that this date has historically not been good for Mets injury news.