Inside the Mets Notebook: Mets Pass First Big Test Against Padres, Rotation Re-Alignment and more
Good afternoon, Mets fans! We hope you are all having a happy Monday, as you transition back to the daily grind.
While it is always sad to see the weekend conclude, on the bright side, it should be a happier day for everyone after the Mets, who have a slew of players on the IL, fought back to split their four-game series against a really good Padres team.
The Mets passed their first big test of the season by playing well against a club that has the second most wins in the National League. Coming into the series, the Amazins' had struggled against teams above .500, but were able to flip the script over the final two games with two straight wins.
As a result, the team improved to 29-23 on the season, and currently hold a 3.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Now, the Mets have their first-of-two scheduled off days' this week before heading to Baltimore for a two-game set.
Let's check out some additional news and notes surrounding the first place Mets!
Rotation Re-Alignment
Prior to Sunday's game, manager Luis Rojas announced that David Peterson and Taijuan Walker will start each contest of their two-game series against the Orioles, which begins on Tuesday.
With another day off scheduled on Thursday, Rojas and the Mets are pushing Joey Lucchesi's turn back to Saturday in order to give Jacob deGrom a normal five days rest in between starts.
deGrom, who posted another historical performance last Saturday night, will now take the hill against the Padres for the second straight outing to kickoff a home series on Friday.
Guillorme Nearing a Return
While several starting position players including Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto aren't close to a return yet, the Mets should have infielder Luis Guillorme back by the end of the week.
Guillorme started a rehab assignment over the weekend, and played three, three and five innings across his first three games.
The 26-year-old went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two walks at the plate for Triple-A Syracuse, as he continues to inch closer to rejoining the big league club.
The addition of Guillorme likely means less playing time for Jonathan Villar at third base. It will also allow Villar to fully rest his hamstring, if he is able to serve as a bench piece with Guillorme getting to start some games at the hot corner.
Padres Steal Mets Pitcher
Ironically, it was last weekend's opponent, who snagged one of the Mets pitchers off waivers.
After the Amazins' designated pitcher Sam McWilliams for assignment, the Padres snatched him up on Saturday.
McWilliams, who the Mets signed to a one-year deal in November, struggled mightily in Triple-A this season. The right-hander had a 10.80 ERA, allowing three home runs and issuing eight walks in just 8.1 innings.
The 25-year-old has promising stuff, but now holds a 8.60 ERA in 52.1 career innings at the Triple-A level.
Trade Season
The Mets dealt Triple-A catcher Bruce Maxwell to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.
Appearing in nine games for Syracuse this season, Maxwell had a .174 batting average in 23 at-bats.
The 30-year-old is best known for being the first MLB player to kneel for the National Anthem back in 2017.
A Familiar Face
Old friend and former top prospect Cesar Puello is back with the Mets on a minor league deal.
Puello spent eight seasons in the Mets' system from 2008-2015, where he slashed .289/.391/.439. His best campaign came in 2013 with the Double-A Binghamton Mets, which saw him slash .326/.403/.547 and steal 24 bases.
Unfortunately, his season was cut short after receiving a 50-game suspension due to his ties to the infamous Biogenesis clinic in Florida.
The Mets released him from the 40-man roster in August of 2015.
The 30-year-old bounced around over the past six year, spending time in the minors with eight different teams. Puello had a rough go of it with the Red Sox Triple-A team this season, batting just .158/.370/.184, which led to his release.
Due to the mass amount of injuries and their lack of outfield depth, the Mets have now brought back Puello and assigned him to Triple-A.
