After a couple of positive COVID-19 tests appeared in the New York Mets‘ roster last week, on Thursday, the team had to postpone the series finale against the Miami Marlins and the whole Subway Series against the New York Yankees.
After no new positives have been reported in the last few days, and with the player and the staffer that contracted the virus currently quarantining in Florida, the New York Mets are set to return to action with a doubleheader against the Fish on Tuesday.
The Mets will also play a couple of doubleheaders against the Yankees on Friday and Sunday. In total, they will take the field nine times in a span of six days, starting on Tuesday. That’s a brutal stretch, but the team isn’t about to shy away.
“It’s a challenge, but this is a year that can’t be about excuses,†general manager Brodie Van Wagenen told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com about the Mets playing nine games in six days. “We are not the only team that has faced adversity with scheduling. We’re not the only team that’s faced adversity with losing players or coaches for a period of time. … We’ve got to think about what we do have and find ways to be competitive with the schedule that we’re faced with.â€
Here is the Mets schedule this week:
- Tuesday, Aug. 25: Doubleheader vs. Marlins, 5:10 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, Aug. 26: Single game vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Aug. 27: Single game vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Friday, Aug. 28: Doubleheader @ Yankees, time TBA
- Saturday, Aug. 29: Single game @ Yankees, time TBA
- Sunday, Aug. 30: Doubleheader @ Yankees, time TBA
As for the pitching plans, they haven’t been announced yet by Mets’ manager Luis Rojas. Jacob deGrom is lined up to start one of the games on Tuesday.
The Mets could get back a couple of starting pitchers currently on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. David Peterson and Michael Wacha are very close, and if they return this week, it would be a huge boost to the team chances of having a positive week.
Other potential candidates to start are Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner will hold one-on-one workouts on Monday with those names, and he will have a better idea of what to do after that.
“We have to be creative at this point,†Van Wagenen said. “Call it ‘openers,’ call it ‘bulk-inning pitchers’ — I have a feeling that we’re probably going to be running through a number of different scenarios.â€