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Rehabbing in Syracuse

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Sunday, the Mets did something rare.  They had not one, not two, but three of their players make rehab starts in the same game.  At Syracuse, Francisco Lindor (above and below), was joined by Tyrone Taylor and Ronny Mauricio in the lineup for the AAA Mets as they hosted the Orioles' Norfolk affiliate.  While the shortstop went hitless, he moved well in the field and hit a long fly to left fielder that didn't miss by much from becoming a home run. Not surprisingly, they were top three batters in the Syracuse order.  Lindor, led off followed by center fielder Taylor (here) and then Mauricio.  All three have been sidelined for much of the season, as the Mets have struggled to a losing record, nine games under .500. Working his way back after a fractured thumb, Mauricio had a hit and a walk. Below, I captured him standing side-by-side with Lindor in the Syracuse infield. And since Sunday was clearly the showcase day for rehabbing players, Norfolk had one of th...
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If Your Birthday is June 19th...

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... you share it with Jacob deGrom .  The best starting pitcher developed by the Mets since Doc Gooden was NL Rookie of the Year in 2014 and went on to win two Cy Young Awards and two strikeout titles during his nine seasons at Citi Field.  But injuries proved to be a problem in 2021 and '22, despite impressive work.   After opting out of his contract, he signed a five-year deal with the Rangers.  But less than two months into his Texas tenure, he underwent Tommy John surgery and watched his new teammates win a World Series without him. Now the question is, with just 100 career victories, will be post big enough career numbers -- especially in the era where 20-game winners are virtually extinct -- to merit Cooperstown consideration.   Along with a past ace, today's birthday circle includes a possible future, one.  Jonah Tong   rocketed his way through the Mets farm system in just 2-1/2 years and made his major league debut last August 29th.  ...
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Welcome Back to Queens

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  With Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco still sidelined, the Mets reached out for backup infield help on Monday, picking up Zach Short on waivers.  A New York area product, raised in Kingston and a graduate of Fairfield, Connecticut's Sacred Heart University, Short got into 23 games with the Tigers earlier this year and has also played for the Astros, Braves, Red Sox and the Mets -- where he appeared in 10 games two years ago. Defense is his calling card: his career batting average is .172.  I saw Short in mid-April playing for the Nats' Triple-A club in Rochester. Jonathan Pintaro has been with the Mets before -- the first time in June 2025.  The righthanded reliever also saw action in three games this season, earning an invitation back with solid bullpen work at Syracuse -- after Christian Scott's hip injury that landed him on the I-L.
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If Your Birthday is June 12th...

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...you share it with Hideki Matsui .  The former Japanese home run champ lived up to his nickname "Godzilla," making history as the first Yankee ever to hit a Grand Slam in his first home game (April 8th, 2003)!  He immediately became a mainstay of the team’s offense alongside Jeter , A-Rid and Posada.  Matsui ended his seven Yankee seasons with an even bigger headline -- earning World Series MVP honors after hitting .615 with three homers and eight RBIs in the six-game triumph over the Phillies. These these photos are all from 2009 games -- a March 16th Grapefruit League game at Steinbrenner Field and a May 22nd interleague game at Yankee Stadium, both against the Phillies and an August 25th matchup with the Rangers.  
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Cristopher Sánchez

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Good timing on my part for being in Philadelphia last Wednesday where I watched the National League's Pitcher of the Month for May.  Cristopher Sanchez baffled the Padres hitters early on, taking a no-hitter into the 4th inning while stretching his consecutive shutout streak past 50 innings -- the longest ever by a lefty -- until, on this swing, Jackson Merrill singled in the 7th for San Diego's first run of the night. While Sanchez never matched Orel Hershiser's record of 59 scoreless, it places him in some great company (Don Drysdale, Walter Johnson and Jack Coombs stand 2-3-4 on the list, with the Phillies ace, fifth).  And it highlights a remarkable month where he not only gave up zero runs, but struck out 45 batters while walking only three !  The Citizens Bank Park video board offered this salute while the crowd of more than 40,000 gave Sanchez a minute-long standing ovation.  
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If Your Birthday is June 5th...

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...you share it with Steward Berroa .  The Phillies recently promoted the former Blue Jay from their Lehigh Valley farm club for his combination of speed, defense and (seen in an April 30th game) butting ability. Andrew Heaney pitched for six clubs over his 12 big league seasons (2014-'25).  Bookended by the Marlins and Dodgers, I caught him in a Yankee uniform following a 2021 mid-season trade.
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Polanco's Rehab Game

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After missing six weeks with wrist and achilles injuries, Jorge Polanco began his rehab assignment last Wednesday.  The Mets infielder was the DH for AA Binghamton against the Red Sox affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs.  And while Polanco got off on the right foot, with a hard hit single to right field his first time up, he wasn't the only reason to be on hand at Mirabito Stadium. The Sea Dogs, which graduated top Boston prospects such as Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony, in recent seasons, have another heavily touted youngster in 2026.  Shortstop Franklin Arias  looked worthy of being recently named as the #3 overall prospect in the minors by The Athletic.  Making strong contact and fielding slickly, the 20 year old Dominican was clearly the best player on the Portland roster.  Wednesday, he delivered two hits, including his 12th homer of the season.  As of this morning, he's batting an impressive .331, getting on-base more than 40% o...
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