Sandy Alderson on Steven Matz’s Latest Injury: ‘It’s Worrisome’

Newsday.com:

It was accidental Sunday morning that Steven Matz wound up pinned against the brick wall outside the Mets’ clubhouse, where he fielded questions about the elbow discomfort that scratched him from Monday’s start.

But the uncomfortable locale was a fitting metaphor for his increasingly tenuous standing in this rotation, a situation caused by frequent injuries that are testing the team’s patience with the former Ward Melville ace.

Bottom line, the distance between what the Mets dream for Matz, and the reality of what he actually is capable of giving them, stretched even further Sunday with this latest episode of elbow tenderness, which is very likely to land him on the disabled list to start the season.

Yet another sudden malady, seemingly out of nowhere, also raised the same familiar question: What good is Matz’s elite-level talent if he can’t be trusted to pitch on a consistent basis? Unfortunately, the Mets know the answer.

“It’s worrisome that he continues to be injured, off and on,” Sandy Alderson said. “That’s the difficulty. We don’t think it’s serious. On the other hand, we have to be able to, with starting pitchers, to rely on them every five days. We’re not sure exactly where this is going to take us.”

Damn season hasn't even started yet and we get this news. Still, with Matz s history of injuries, the Mets can't afford to take any risks which in turn means that Gsellman and Lugo need to be our No/ 4 and 5 starters till Matz is fully healed. The ides that they're still thinking about Wheeler for a rotation spot needs to be nixed.

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Why Hasn't Steven Matz Started A Game Yet?

Matz is supposed to be the Mets 4th starter and yet, through 5 games this season, he hasn't appeared in game. Matz was passed over for Bartolo Colon yesterday in what would normally be his spot in the rotation and I haven't seen or heard any word on when exactly Matz will finally appear in a regular season game. I know that Matz didn't pitch too great during spring training...but that's spring training. And when he did pitch last, he pitched pretty well, delivering 5 no-hit innings against the Cubs in the Mets’ final spring training game on April 1st. Matz hasn't appeared in a game since, tho there was some talk of him pitching in relief of Noah Syndregaard against the Royals in Kansas City the other day. I know that Matz has hi share of aches and pains last season, that included a stint on the disable list. But for a guy who's been designated the 4th starter and a huge key to the Mets' chances of winning this year, I just think it's strange that we haven't seen Matz pitch a game yet thin season.