Reese Kaplan -- Best Record Despite Many Medical Maladies

While it’s easy to wax poetic over the Mets’ April-Not-Fools kind of start, the fact is that they are tap dancing on fragile crystal with injuries taking their toll in a big way.  It’s easy to say, “But think how much better they will be when everyone is healthy,” the fact remains that a great many have already fallen to the IL for anywhere from several days to several months and it’s entirely possible that the .677 start with a 21-10 record is suggesting that maintaining that level of performance will see them closing in on a 110 win season.  No matter how optimistic you are as a fan, winning 110 games is not likely to happen no matter who is or is not in the starting lineup on a regular basis. 

So who is out of action?  Well, let’s start on the pitching side of the ledger, first examining the starting rotation.  You have Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas leading off the injured list, neither of whom has taken an inning of major league baseball in 2025.  Both are throwing and both will return at some point but no one knows how far down that road it will be. 

Then in the bullpen you have A.J. Minter down and out for what is going to be an extended loss due to injury or if surgery is required then the 2025 season is done for him entirely.  Word just filtered out that Danny Young’s injury could be pointing towards the need for Tommy John Surgery.  The standard recovery period for that kind of healing is 18 months, so that would kill off the remainder of 2025 and most if not all of 2026 as well.

Still awaiting a major league Mets uniform this year is Dedniel Nunez who despite being terrific in 2024 is struggling to retire batters and not issuing innumerable free passes in AAA.  Since they have determined he is not yet ready to return, instead the club has seen the likes of Jose Urena (gone), Kevin Herget (gone), Brandon Waddell (still here at least temporarily), and Chris Devinski handing over the final two runs in the April 30th Mets/Diamondbacks game.  Ummm, yeah, there’s some help needed in this pen (especially after the latest Ryne Stanek meltdown).

Others in the floating ER include newly reacquired Brooks Raley, Christian Scott, Drew Smith, Bryce Montes de Oca and an assortment of others (including Paul Blackburn).   

Then there are the position players struggling to stay out of medical needs triage including Jose Siri, recently returned Francisco Alvarez and spring training casualty Nick Madrigal recovering from shoulder surgery.  Ronny Mauricio actually entered games recently, but he’s in low level Florida recovery rather than facing AAA’s best pitchers in preparation for return to the majors.

Right now David Stearns, Carlos Mendoza and their big boss need to decide how much they’re willing to spend to correct the current health problems.  Will there be trades made using chips that are not necessarily part of the immediate future like Brett Baty?  Will some youngsters be pushed up the chain a bit more aggressively like Drew Gilbert?  Will the waiver wire be the primary vehicle for finding left handed relief health?  Time will tell.