Mets Notebook: Starling Marte’s migraines ease up, Luis Guillorme has a Grade 2 calf strain
Starling Marte seems to be trending in the right direction when it comes to the migraine headaches that landed him on the 10-day injured list last week. He has gone three days without a migraine and was able to do some baserunning work on the field at Yankee Stadium before the start of Tuesday’s Subway Series game against the Yankees.
The right fielder will be eligible to come off the injured list Thursday, but the Mets aren’t yet ready to say they’ll activate him on that date.
“We’re not ready to make that commitment yet,” manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. “He’s had a good three days. He needed it.”
The Mets have sent Marte to specialists to try to figure out why the migraines were occurring so close together. The baserunning is a good sign but the team is still waiting to see how he responds to some baseball activities.
“We’re not there yet. We’ll see how tomorrow goes,” Showalter said. “He’s had three days without migraines and that’s good. I talked to him a couple times today and he’s getting there.”
Infielder Luis Guillorme had imaging done on his injured right calf, which revealed a Grade 2 strain. The injury typically takes 4-6 weeks to rehab, if not longer, and he’ll need rehab games as well. Guillorme allowed the Mets flexibility to give infielders days off periodically, or use Jeff McNeil in the outfield. He isn’t exactly the heaviest hitter, hitting only .238 with a .650 OPS this season, but he has shown improvements at the plate as of late.
The Mets are using outfielder DJ Stewart and infielder Danny Mendick in the places of Marte and Guillorme, neither of which have proven to be capable major ,eague hitters. But their options are limited, with the club wanting Ronny Mauricio to continue developing in Triple-A and outfielder Tim Locastro still out after thumb surgery. There are no big-league-ready outfielders in the organization and Tommy Pham is still day-to-day with a groin injury. It’s not an ideal spot but it’s what the Mets have to work with.
STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS
The Subway Series typically generates a fair amount of buzz in the city. But this week, the excitement level feels subdued. The Mets are coming off a series loss in Boston against the Red Sox. Their playoff hopes are on life support. They’re treading water and no one knows whether or not they’re going to buy or sell next week.
But Max Scherzer still saw a different vibe coming into the Bronx on Tuesday. There is extra meaning when it comes to playing the Yankees, even amidst all of the uncertainty of the week.
“I definitely feel it,” Scherzer said. “There is an energy in the Subway Series that we don’t feel every day. I’m very fortunate to be a part of it because of the way the fans get into it.”
ROSTER MOVE
The Mets recalled right-hander Elieser Hernandez and placed him on the 15-day injured list with a right pectoral strain.
