Mets manager Carlos Mendoza calls starting with six healthy starters “a good problem’
Somehow, the Mets managed to do the unthinkable this spring: They made it through the entirety of spring training and the Grapefruit League season without any major pitching injuries. All six starters came out of camp healthy, for maybe the first time in club history. Even if it might not be a first for the Mets, it’s a first for manager Carlos Mendoza.
“I think it’s probably my first year while I’ve been in big leagues that you get through spring training and everyone is healthy,” Mendoza said Thursday ahead of the Mets’ Opening Day matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “It’s a good problem to have, and we’ve just got to keep it that way now. ” Keeping it that way may not be as easy.
During spring training, guys are trying to build up on timed progressions, meeting benchmarks to work up to in-season strength The training staffs are careful not to overload pitchers’ arms right away. Once the season begins, they should be able to handle the stress on their arms and their bodies, but overuse injuries always occur. That’s where you see the starting pitching depth come into play.
The core of the training staff has remained the same, though the pitching coach is new, Justin Willard. Mendoza credits the staff and the pitchers for being honest about their health and following each individual protocol to a tee. “You’ve got to give them credit,” Mendoza said of the pitching staff.
“They came [into camp] in a really good place, and they follow the program pretty much. ” Right-hander Freddy Peralta headlines the staff this season and right-hander Nolan McLean is expected to be a candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. The 24-year-old out of Oklahoma State had a 2.