ew York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler. Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
The reminder of just how small a margin for error the New York Mets possess in a supposed “playoffs or bust” season wasn’t served up March 16, when right-hander Zack Wheeler learned he’d need Tommy John surgery.
As disappointed as the Mets were to lose Wheeler, they will replace him with last year’s Opening Day starter, right-hander Dillon Gee, and will still have prospects such as right-hander Rafael Montero, right-hander Noah Syndergaard and left-hander Steven Matz all at or near the point where they can step in and help the big league team.
Instead, the Mets’ vulnerability was truly exposed on March 19 and March 22, when second baseman Daniel Murphy and shortstop Wilmer Flores were forced from exhibition games due to hamstring and foot injuries, respectively.
Both players are expected to be fine by Opening Day. Murphy should man second against the Washington Nationals on April 6 even though his hamstring strain is expected to cost him the bulk of the remaining Grapefruit League schedule. Flores, who suffered a bruised left foot when he fouled a ball off it, hopes to be playing in games by the end of the week.
Still, the injury scares for the Mets’ middle infield served as a reminder that the cost-conscious Mets have stockpiled no major league-caliber depth behind Murphy and Flores. Murphy’s replacement would be either Matt Reynolds or Danny Muro, both of whom reached Triple-A for the first time last season.
Flores’ backup is Ruben Tejada, the one-time starting shortstop whose work ethic was questioned by the Mets long before general manager Sandy Alderson dubbed him “just a placeholder” in interviews for “Baseball Maverick,” the Alderson biography authored by Steve Kettmann.
The middle infield positions are far from the only ones where the Mets would be caught short in event of an injury. The projected backup corner infielders are John Mayberry Jr., who is a lifetime .241 hitter in 515 major league games, and Eric Campbell, who hit .263 as a 27-year-old rookie last season. The versatile Kirk Nieuwenhuis is slotted as the fourth outfielder but has yet to collect 300 at-bats in a major league season, while Anthony Recker, a career .197 hitter, might be the backup catcher.
In other words: Position players, don’t get hurt.
