PORT ST. LUCIE – When Sandy Alderson constructed this pitching staff in the off-season two words came to mind: Talent and Depth. There were 7 candidates for the 5 spots in the rotation who all bring talent to the table. Steven Matz will miss his next start and while the Mets are not trying to make too much of it, that depth could be illustrated in the season’s first week.
Alderson spoke to the media this morning and reiterated on a number of occasions that the team does not deem this as a serious issue but at the same time understands that the depth of talent in this rotation will always help in these situations.
The injury history of Matz is well documented and even minor discomfort has the team concerned despite the fact this is not being termed as serious. Another thing that must be considered is that Matz turn in the rotation may not occur until Friday, Apr. 7 which is still nearly two weeks away with April weather in NY very iffy. It might be more prudent to keep him down in Florida if there is even the slightest level of discomfort.
Depth has become a key component for every major league team in recent years and that allows the Mets to proceed very cautiously as Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman, Zack Wheeler, and even Rafael Montero could be in the mix should Matz need some time to feel 100%.