Why the Mets may use an opener on O atlanta braves merch pening Day with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer hurt

The Mets had an incredibly busy offseason. Two of their biggest moves were aimed at improving the rotation. They added Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to join with Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco.

Unfortunately for New York, its new-look starting five is already taking its lumps with the start of the season less than a week away.

On Friday, it was announced that DeGrom won't throw for four weeks because of a stress reaction in his pitching shoulder. On Saturday, Scherzer was scratched from a simulated game because of a hamstring strain, though Scherzer doesn't seem overly concerned.

MORE: DeGrom out for four weeks with stress reaction in shoulder

"Don’t know," Scherzer said Saturday after he was asked when he could pitch next, via Yahoo Sports. "I've had these little hamstring injuries before. They go away in days. Fortuna atlanta braves jersey for men tely enough I've been pretty good to not have serious hamstring injuries. I've had just little hiccups."

Still, Scherzer may miss Opening Day along with deGrom, putting the Mets two starters short to open the season.

What will the Mets do on Opening atlanta braves jersey women austin riley Day?

The Mets still have depth at the back end of the rotation, but Openin atlanta braves jersey toddler boys 4t g Day is suddenly looking dicey. Manager Buck Showalter hasn't ruled out theMLB Batting Practice idea of a bullpen game, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

That's a bit of a nothing statement from Showalter, but it is an interesting prospect: a team with deGrom and Scherzer on its roster possibly starting . . . Drew Smith to open the season.

Who's up next for the Mets if deGrom and Scherzer miss time?

A rotation of Bassitt, Walker, Carrasco, Tylor Megill and David Peterson doesn't have the allure of a five with deGrom and Scherzer in it, but New York could do much worse.

Bassitt went 12-4 with the Athletics last year with a 3.34 FIP (his lowest since his rookie year), a career-best 1.055 WHIP and a 3.15 ERA. He could be the Opening Day starter for multiple teams, but he's not what the Mets had in mind to begin the year. Megill went 4-6 with a 4.52 ERA in 18 starts last year. Peterson was 2-6 with a 5.54 ERA in 15 starts.

FAGAN: Five big questions in NL East, starting with the World Series champion Braves

The Mets' reported pursuit of Padres starter Chris Paddack makes sense. Although his ERA has climbed over the past two years, the Mets see "untapped potential," according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Whether or not he can live up to that potential is another story. Locking in with one of Megill or Peterson may be more palatableBryce Harper than having both in the rotation.

Why are the Mets considering using an opener?

Per Newsday's Tim Britton, Showalter offered a straightforward explanation for not reshuffling the rotation: "Just because something doesn't happen on the first game of the season, I'm not going to put the whole thing in disarray for one spot, or two spots."

Showalter's reasoning is sound, even if the circumstances aren't ideal. Using an opener buys the time for the rotation to get right and the Mets to slot in Scherzer with deGrom out of the picture for the foreseeable future.

How bad is this for the Mets?

Seasoned Mets fans may be freaking out and see this as the writing on the wall for the season, but it's not catastrophic. The Mets have added rotation depth for just this type of occurrence, and they're built to weather an early-season storm. It's a 162-game season, and while an opener on Opening Day isn't fun, no sport is more of a marathon than baseball.

Still, there are some red flags. Scherzer's injurPandora| Columbiaies are piling up, and for someone who will turn 38 in July and recently signed a three-year, $130 million contract, the nature of his injuries is a concern. In 2020, he had hamstring issues; in 2021, there were issues with his hamstring, groin and triceps. Scherzer also spent a lot of this past offseason negotiating for the MLB Players Association during the lockout, which may have led to his current hamstring tightness.

DeGrom is Corey Seager Rangers Jerseys a different matter. He's arguably the best pitcher atlanta braves game issued jersey in baseball when healthy, but he made multiple trips to the injured list last year, including a stint on the 60-day IL that began in July. The idea the Mets can reliably count on him for innings is dwindling.

The bottom line is that the Mets should be fine, even if deGrom has to miss significant time. Offseason additions Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and MarGeorge Springer k Canha will inject more speed and power into the lineup, and Francisco Lindor slugged over 100 points higher post-All Star break than before as he improved on his dismal start to the season. The Mets have a complete, deep ros atlanta braves freeman jersey ter. It just looks as if there might be some tough sledding to begin the season.

Related Articles Jacob deGrom injury update: Mets ace out for four weeks with stress reaction in shoulder MLB offseason grades: Dodgers, Mets earn high marks; Yankees confuse Mets will 'probably' get over Cohen Threshold of $290 million; how the franchise got there