Tom Brennan: Predictably Unpredictable; Rehabbers; & More

KODAI SENGA IN THE 4TH INNING FOR SYRACUSE ON SATURDAY

Buy or Sell?

I change my mind every day, it seems.

So, I’ll go back to neutral.

After all, how does a very sizzling (not to mention scorching) hot Mets offense go to play a weak in-division team and STOP HITTING?

The Mets’ best hitter was…DJ Stewart??

We love our Christian Scott but can’t ever score for him, so he remains “major league winless” while Paul Skenes remains “major league loss-free”. He got the “L” on Sunday.

The pen was good, but the opposition weak, while Sean Manaea pitched like …. sheep manure?  Sorry, Sean. 

The Marlins are making our laddies look like lassies named Marlene.

I imagine David Stearns thrashes back and forth as he sleeps, blurting out, “buy, sell, buy, sell….” Then he wakes up in a cold sweat.

Who knows?  I sure don’t.

I guess I’ll just go lose $$ in the equally predictably unpredictable stock market instead. I’m good at that.

RHYLAN THOMAS

He had been struggling in AAA. As in 4 for 39 for 2 weeks. 

First 2 games after the break, though, he goes 6 for 10. 

The youthful Marlins would see that and call him right up. 

At the very least, leave Thomas, who has hit 8th or 9th much of his career, in the lead off spot. I like .600 lead off hitters, how about you?

While not a power bat, this year he has had 54 ABs with 2 outs and RISP: .346/.424/.481. Nice.

As Gus pointed out to me, Rhylan made a beauty of a catch rushing in to catch a sinking liner in CF. I then watched it. Straight out of a Gold Glove Juan Lagares highlight film. Thomas clearly won that Mets minors fielder’s award last year for a reason. HE GOT GLOVE.

I expect Thomas to now go on a tear of the hitting (and not the hammy) kind.

THE REHABBERS

How fascinating that the 2 hammy long-term injury returnees, Drew Gilbert (#2) and Jacob Reimer (#15), returned this past week after roughly 4 injured months each to begin rehab games.

Gilbert, in the FCL and St Lucie, is just 1 for 15 (a single) with 5 walks and 3 Ks. Out of the Houston system, he is playing Rusty so far.

The younger (by 3.5 years) 20 year old Reimer was 0 for 8 with 3 walks in the clearly tough FCL.  

But he’s been up 11 times after that, in St Lucie, where he had 2 doubles, 3 singles, 3 walks and no Ks.  Take that, Tony Gwynn.

 - Getting on 8 of 11 times is exciting and encouraging.

I’d not be surprised to see Gilbert now head back to AAA and Reimer to stay in St Lucie a little longer. 

But, while we all know of Gilbert, let’s keep a very close eye on Reimer.

Kodai Senga? He was OK for 3 innings on Saturday, then walloped for 5 runs in the 4th, as his ghost ball disappeared on him. Where will his next start be? Only Casper knows. But, I has a salmon teriyaki bento box dinner at my local Japanese restaurant yesterday, which I think is a good luck sign for Kodai.  May he return hotter than wasabi.

Starling Marte said the knee bone bruise is much better, now let’s see how soon he can healthily return.

Senga and Marte could be two fine (in effect) trade deadline pick ups for the Mets.

Fujinami threw a clean relief inning for Syracuse, and his control has been good in all but two short outings in his rehab. Oca has been too wild and hittable so far, and he needs to fix that before he is taken seriously as a possible Queens call up.

CHRISTIAN SCOTT

He has pitched well this year, except for one thing: 

18 home runs allowed in 90 AAA and MLB innings. 

Take back those 18 pitches and he is Great Scott.

Too many dingers.

Something to address to become an effective, winning MLB starter.