I didn't have a topic for today's 'War Room' until Jenrry Mejia went down last night.
Let's start today of with this question and feel free to take the room anywhere you want today...
If you have a pitcher that doctors have already told you needs surgery in the off-season to remove bone chips in your elbow, do you pitch the guy anyway even past his last outing when he told you the elbow was starting to hurt?
As long as the injury doesnt get worse, he (Meija in this case) is able to play at the level you want him to play and he will be ready for next year then YES.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jonah. Any experience Mejia can gain this season without causing further harm is extremely beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI would shut him down at this point. No one, not even the experts know how it will effect him. He may alter his mechanics to remove some stress from his elbow and not even know it. That can result in a shoulder injury or something else.
ReplyDeleteShut him down now. This will allow him to get the surgery done now and be 100% at the start of the 2014 season. I like the way he has been pitching when he wasn't 100%. How can a met fan not be excited about the possibility of seeing him at 100% along with Harvey, Wheeler, and Syndergaard in 2014. Syndergaard is ready, his MLB debut is just a matter of innings and team control limitations.
I'm with Jonah and Kevin. People keep telling me "It's about 2014" but that means he needs good reps and looks at the rest of the league now. If he can handle it, let him pitch.
ReplyDeleteOkay Johan, Kevin, and Stephen...
ReplyDeletebut what about now?
what if the doctors come back and say, yeah it is hurting but it's not getting any worse... we've seen he can now pitch... do the surgery next week and he'll be ready for opening day 2014 well ahead of when Syndergaard will come up
This is Meija's second taste of MLB experience. He has already shown the desire to compete at this level by ignoring Frankie Frank's advice and getting back to the main club this year, so we know the talent is there along with his maturity. I would have to agree with Richard. Get the man's elbow right now, give him the maximum time for him to heal before spring training and avoid any additional injury. The team has already jerked this guy around enough in the past. The argument might be different if the Mets were in the middle of a playoff hunt, but since they are not, shut him down.
ReplyDeleteHere's a hint to Mets management -- 2013 is yet another year of meaningless games in September. Consequently what is to be gained by playing Mejia anymore than he has already? Give him an extra 4-6 weeks to heal after the surgery he'll need anyway.
ReplyDeleteInstead, in typical mismanagement fashion, they will let him continue to pitch and develop further irritation requiring more major surgery and a longer recovery period.
You've already seen a good glimpse of what he's capable of doing. He's also learned he can succeed at this level. Think long term and due what's in the best interest of making him available for 30+ starts next year.
Of course, I'm completely delusional. Why else would they have hung onto Marlon Byrd, John Buck and others who should not be a part of the future? It's all about winning 75 instead of of 72 games...
At best he would have at best 6 more starts. Those six starts would benefit him but weigh that against the possibility of ruining his career. It likely not a probability but it is certainly a possibility. Why take the risk? To help us keep 3rd instead of possibly slipping back to forth.
ReplyDeleteGood reps matter but being healthy matters more.
At this point I'm with Mack. Give him the surgery now and slot him in as your number 4 in April. Why risk any more injuries. He's still young and obviously still an extremely talented young pitcher.
ReplyDeleteHis arsenal has been fantastic. He's controlling all his pitches. This is a guy that the Mets will need at the start of 2014. I'd shut him down and call up one of the Vegas pitchers who don't have an innings limit.
With a trade or two, plus a possible good signing, this team will be good next year. Mejia will be needed in the first half next year in order to at the very least, hold a spot until Montero or Thor is ready.
Mejia has proven THIS year that he can pitch successfully against major league batters. His new slider/curve/whatever has wicked movement and, alng with his FB, he's got enough to compete.
ReplyDeleteWhat he does have to prove is he can get through a season without landing on the DL.
He's NOT trade bait. No one would trade for someone with this medical history.
Shut him down, bring up Schwinden or anyone else you want to see (deGrom and Montero are at the end of their pitch count limits) and just get through this painful season.
I don't think Mejia is going to be there to hold down a spot for anyone. If he is healthy he is a much better pitcher than Montero. If he is healthy he is in the same conversations as Harvey, Wheeler, and Syndergaard.
ReplyDeleteMack,
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I agree, shut him down. If this was yesterday, I would have said let him pitch until he starts feeling discomfort, which he did.
The innings he pitched this year are very meaningful. It shows the front office he has the stuff and it gives him the confidence in himself that he can get the job done.
Maybe he can spend the next couple months learning how to bunt...
Shut him down!!!
ReplyDeleteKevin, the only problem I have with your statement is he had discomfort the start before this and the Mets still let him go out yesterday. THAT's the problem I have with the way they are running this team.
ReplyDeleteFor now, and the rest of 2014 baring any more injuries, I would return Carlos Torres to the rotation regardless of his bloated ERA.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm on injuries... Wilmer Flores is still not 100%, like Mejia wasn't at 100% going into last night's outing...
ReplyDeleteyou are getting a glimpse at the future 3-4-5-6:
Wright - Davis - d'Arnaud - Flores
Let him PH until he's 100% - don't risk something far worse
Mejia just went on the DL
ReplyDeleteMejia came back from the "do you remember him" file and has proven enough already to put himself back in the picture for our top 5 next year. They knew he needed the surgery so lets not waste anymore time and just do it already....2014 is just around the corner
ReplyDeleteGetting into this discussion late, but imo Mejia was given an opportunity this year and he siezed it big time. I'm guessing that he told management that he felt fine because he wanted the chance to get in there and show them what he is capable of. He did exactly what he needed to do, which was to reinsert himself into the Mets picture of the future. Now he should be shut down, given the surgery, and provided with a nice long rehab schedule.
ReplyDeleteHe will probably have to compete with Gee, and possibly Montero (if they are still around) for a spot in the opening day rotation, which is a shame, but probably a necessity. Meanwhile, I am in complete agreement with Mack about reinserting Carlos Torres into the rotation. But I don't think it is going to happen. I think they believe Torres is a valuable piece of the future pen. So, I fear we will see Schwinden in Citifield before long. For the next week, however, it looks like they're going with a 4 man rotation.
As someone who has bone chips and plays baseball (granted in a men's league far from the pros) and someone who pitches, it can be very difficult and at times painful to pitch with bone chips in your elbow. I felt that I had a harder time finishing my pitches and reaching back for velocity. I know it is not the same thing as Mejia since he is in the majors and has vastly superior stuff compared to mine, but as I pitched this summer, the pain came and went but never got much worse and was tolerable most of the time when anti-inflamatories were taken. So I think that it was okay to let Mejia pitch through it as long as he could as long as he did not do any more damage. At the same time, I think that letting him get the surgery now is good so he can be ready for spring training.
ReplyDelete