Mets RHP Max Kranick, a candidate to crack starting rotation, to begin season on injured list with left hamstring strain
The Mets have taken another hit to their starting pitching depth, with manager Carlos Mendoza announcing that right-hander Max Kranick will be out “a little while” with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
The 26-year-old Kranick will have to go seven-to-ten days without baseball activities, and he will begin the season on the injured list.
According to Mendoza, the righty experienced some cramping following his outing against the Washington Nationals on Monday. Kranick, claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates in January, started and threw 2.0 scoreless innings, striking out a pair of hitters.
“He got through the two innings fine, but then the next day he showed up and he was pretty sore," Mendoza said. "…It will be a few weeks before he’s fully built up again."
The Mets are already down ace Kodai Senga, who is dealing with a moderate right posterior capsule strain and will also begin the season on the IL. Senga received a PRP injection and will need to be ramped back up before taking the field.
With Senga out, that leaves Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Adrian Houser and Sean Manaea as the only likely locks to be in the rotation on Opening Day. Prior to this injury, Kranick had a decent shot at the fifth starter's role, along with the likes of Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, and Jose Butto. Lefty David Peterson is on the 60-day IL as he recovers from hip surgery, but likely won't return until June.
"Another hit," Mendoza answered when asked what the Kranick news means for their rotation moving forward. "We’ve been talking about our depth since we showed up at camp, and now with the Senga news early in camp and now with Max, but I see it as an opportunity for other guys. We like our depth, we continue to like our depth, and guys are going to have to step up, and guys are going to get opportunities."
Kranick, 26, was an 11th-round draft pick of the Pirates in 2016. In 11 major league appearances (nine starts), Kranick has pitched to a 5.56 ERA with 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
