The Mets were able to eke out a two-run victory over the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon -- securing a sweep in their three game weekend series and their fifth consecutive victory. It came at a price though.
Superstar right-hander Jacob deGrom - whose start earlier in the week was pushed back until Sunday due to inflammation in his right lat - was forced to exit after just five innings and just 68 pitches due to tightness in his right side.
DeGrom had been dealing in the game. He cruised through the first four innings without allowing a baserunner and even chipped into a two-run rally in the third inning with a bunt single and a run scored. He showed impressive wheels on the bunt as well, busting it down the line at a borderline-elite sprint speed of 29.9 ft/sec.
He started to show some cracks in the armor in the fifth inning though, starting with a four-pitch walk to David Peralta -- just the fifth walk that he had allowed all season. He then allowed a double to Stephen Vogt, the first hit he allowed on the afternoon. DeGrom then issued a five-pitch walk to Eduardo Escobar to load the bases. He battled back to get Nick Ahmed to hit into a run-scoring double play, but then walked Daulton Varsho on five pitches before punching out Christian Walker to end the inning. It was the first time in three years that he had walked three batters in an inning.[[ad:athena]]
He attempted to come back out for the sixth inning, but the trainer was summoned to the mound by catcher James McCann while he was throwing his warmup pitches. All told, deGrom generated eight whiffs in the contest and posted a CSW rate of 29%. His fastball velocity was 98.7 mph -- just 0.2 down from his season average -- and he maxed out at 100.4 mph.
He was sent for an MRI after the game -- just to “see what’s going on there” according to Mets manager Luis Rojas. Rojas also noted that this issue was located more towards his lower back than his lat. Perhaps the Mets are just operating out of an abundance of caution with their prized hurler and there won’t be any sort of long-term absence here. Or, as seems increasingly likely in this case, deGrom is heading to the injured list.
The real question now, is how long he’ll be there. The Mets won’t have any sort of update on his status until Monday after they get the results of his MRI exam, but it’s safe to assume that deGrom is going to miss at least his next start at a minimum.
It’s a tough break for fantasy managers who had been reaping the early rewards of calling out deGrom’s name early in the first round of drafts in March. With Sunday’s victory, the 32-year-old hurler sits at 3-2 on the season with a minuscule 0.68 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 65/7 K/BB ratio across 40 innings of work. There’s no doubt that he has been the best pitcher in baseball.
Starting Pitchers with an EDGE
Sandy Alcantara - 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K
30% CSW, 18 swinging strikes
Sandy Alcantara delivered another terrific outing in a no-decision against the Brewers, allowing just one run on five hits over seven strong innings on Sunday. The 25-year-old right-hander has been outstanding this season, registering a 2.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 48/14 K/BB ratio over 49 2/3 innings in his eight starts.
Adam Wainwright - 8 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K
31% CSW, 6 swinging strikes
The 39-year-old right-hander carried a shutout bid into the ninth inning on Sunday -- which would have been his first one since 2016 -- but ultimately turned it over to the bullpen after allowing a single and a walk. His stuff isn’t overpowering, but he continues to find a way to get hitters out regardless -- throwing 71 of his 113 pitches for strikes and generating 12 ground ball outs. He’s proving that last year’s bounce-back season was no fluke.
Huascar Ynoa - 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K
30% CSW, 10 swinging strikes
Ynoa surrendered a leadoff homer to Andrew McCutchen on Sunday, then was pretty much lights out for the remainder of his six innings. The 22-year-old generated 10 whiffs on the night (nine on his slider) and posted a CSW rate of 30%. He’s now 4-1 on the season with a stellar 2.23 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 44/9 K/BB ratio across 40 1/3 innings.
Hitters with an EDGE
Kyle Tucker - 2-for-3, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB
Kyle Tucker had a monster game in a victory over the Jays on Sunday, delivering an RBI triple and a three-run blast to lead the Astros attack. While the counting stats have been there for the 24-year-old outfielder, he’s slashing just .188/.258/.393 on the season to go along with his six homers, 20 RBI and pair of stolen bases.
Adolis Garcia - 3-for-4, HR, 5 RBI
Perhaps it’s about time that more people start to take what Adolis Garcia is doing seriously. The 28-year-old has been terrorizing American League pitching over the first month-plus of the season, slashing a robust .297/.339/.604 with nine homers, 26 RBI and two stolen bases. Not only is he the early front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors in the American League, but he may wind up being the best waiver wire addition all season.
Freddie Freeman - 3-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Freddie Freeman took Aaron Nola deep for his ninth home run of the season on Sunday Night and reached base safely in each of his four plate appearances. Perhaps this is what it’ll take to get him going. With the three-hit effort he climbed above the Mendoza line on the season -- slashing .217/.352/.467 with nine long balls and 21 RBI.
EDGE Priority Pickup
Josh Rojas, 2B/SS/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks -- Available in 37% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.
Josh Rojas was a popular breakout candidate during the preseason, though he was dropped in many mixed leagues after stumbling out of the gates to an .065/.216/.065 slash through his first 13 games. Since then, Rojas has been raking -- hitting .404/.446/.769 with five homers, 11 RBI and a stolen base. He carries three positions of eligibility and finds himself in the Diamondbacks lineup on a near daily basis. He’s certainly worth the addition where he’s available.
Editor’s Note: Drafting is only half the battle! Get an edge on your competition with our MLB Season Tools - available in our EDGE+ Roto tier for $3.99/mo. (annually) or $9.99/mo. (monthly) - that are packed with rankings, projections, a trade evaluator, start/sit tools and much more. And don’t forget to use promo code WELCOME10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Closing Time
Matt Barnes continued to dominate in the ninth inning for the Red Sox, recording his eighth save in as many attempts on the season. He owns a brilliant 2.00 ERA and 0.50 WHIP over 18 innings.
Edwin Diaz has rebounded beautifully from his rough outing last weekend, delivering three scoreless outings while picking up a pair of saves this week -- including a five-out save with three strikeouts on Sunday to close out a win for Jacob deGrom.
Ryan Pressly has performed as an elite option all season long, and Sunday was no different. The right-hander secured his sixth save in six attempts and owns an outstanding 1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 15 innings.
With Alex Reyes unavailable on Sunday, Ryan Helsley filled in admirably to get the final two outs against the Rockies. He’s one of many quality options at the back end of the Cardinals bullpen, but isn’t likely to see very many save chances this season.
Richard Rodriguez allowed a run in the ninth inning on Sunday -- the first run that he has allowed all season -- but still managed to nab his sixth save of the year. He has been outstanding in the closer’s role this season and is in no danger of losing his job -- though he’s likely to be moved at the trade deadline.
Raisel Iglesias worked a scoreless ninth inning to protect a one-run lead against the Dodgers. It’s only his fifth save of the season and he owns a cringe-inducing 6.00 ERA and 1.42 WHIP on the year, but he doesn’t appear to be in any danger of losing the ninth inning gig.
The Rays continue to mix and match in the ninth inning with Diego Castillo on the injured list. After Jeffrey Springs recorded a save earlier in the week, it was Andrew Kittredge nabbing his second save of the season on Sunday. There are a couple of arms worth speculating on here if desperate for saves, but expect Castillo to see the lion’s share of the chances once he returns.
One day after Blake Treinen recorded his first save of the season, Kenley Jansen was used in the eighth inning of a one-run game on Sunday against the Angels. Jansen was shaky in the inning also -- allowing a hit and a walk -- before escaping without giving up a run.
Editor’s Note: Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news and updates. Plus, it allows you to easily track your favorite players. Get it here!
Monday’s Matchup of the Day
Kyle Gibson (TEX) vs. Alex Wood (SFG)
There are only six MLB games on tap for what’s shaping up to be a disappointing Monday and the pitching matchups leave a lot to be desired. I’ll be tuning into the final game of the night though, where a couple of boring old veterans who are off to terrific starts will go toe-to-toe in a game that features an over/under of only seven runs.
For the Rangers, Kyle Gibson has been unbelievable since his first start of the season -- registering a 1.32 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 34/10 K/BB ratio over 41 innings in his last six starts. Meanwhile for the Giants, Alex Wood has gone 3-0 and registered a minuscule 1.96 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 22/5 K/BB ratio across 23 innings in his first four starts. Runs are going to be at a premium on Monday night in San Francisco.
American League Quick Hits: Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck has been shut down at Triple-A Pawtucket due to a sore flexor muscle, but manager Alex Cora said he’s not overly concerned and that it’s only a short-term setback. … The Red Sox placed Christian Arroyo on the injured list with a bruised left hand. … Astros skipper Dusty Baker told reporters Sunday that Framber Valdez (finger) could rejoin the team in June. … Rafael Dolis landed on the 10-day IL with a right calf strain. … Rays oft-injured outfielder Kevin Kiermaier went back on the injured list on Sunday with a left wrist sprain. … Ramon Laureano was held out of the A’s lineup on Sunday due to a right thumb injury. … Rangers right-hander Kohei Arihara was placed on the 10-day IL with a right middle finger contusion. … The Rangers claimed catcher Jack Kruger off of waivers from the Angels. … DJ Stewart was forced to leave Sunday’s game with a left hamstring strain… Rafael Devers homered and drove in three runs as the Red Sox topped the Orioles. … Cedric Mullins swatted his sixth long ball in the loss. … Nick Pivetta improved to 5-0 on the season with six innings of two-run ball against the Orioles. … Giancarlo Stanton delivered a walk-off RBI single to propel the Yankees to victory over the Nationals. … Gleyber Torres blasted his first home run of the season in the win. … Jose Altuve blasted his third home run as the Astros triumphed over the Blue Jays. … Nate Pearson allowed three runs over 2 1/3 innings in a loss against the Astros in his season debut. … Yermin Mercedes went 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI as the White Sox crushed the Royals to complete their three-game sweep. … Whit Merrifield went 2-for-3 and swiped his league-leading 11th base in the loss. … Justus Sheffield was tagged for seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits over five innings in a loss to the Rangers. … Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-5 and scored three times in the victory for the Rangers. … Shane McClanahan struck out five over four innings against the A’s, but also allowed three runs on four hits and a pair of walks. … Willy Adames blasted a three-run homer as the Rays topped the Athletics.
National League Quick Hits: The Braves signed right-hander Shane Greene to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. … Javier Baez was held out of the Cubs lineup on Sunday after being removed from Saturday’s game with back tightness, though he did appear as a pinch-hitter. … The Pirates transferred Ke’Bryan Hayes to the 60-day injured list, though they confirmed there has been no setback in his recovery and was merely a procedural move. Now he can’t be activated until early June. ... The Pirates also placed Colin Moran on the 10-day IL with a left groin injury. … The Pirates claimed Ben Gamel off of waivers from the Indians as they continue to churn through outfielders, designating right-hander Michael Feliz for assignment in the process. … Jake Marisnick was pulled from Sunday’s game due to a right hamstring injury. He’ll undergo further testing on Monday. … Jason Heyward was pulled from Sunday’s game in the ninth inning due to a right hand issue. … Joe Ross struck out a season-high seven batters over five innings of two-run baseball in a no-decision against the Yankees. … Tyrone Taylor came through with a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning to lead the Brewers past the Marlins. … German Marquez allowed just one earned run and struck out six over six innings in a losing effort against the Cardinals -- giving fantasy managers some relief from his disaster earlier in the week. … Wilmer Difo went 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI as the Pirates dispatched of the Cubs. … Ronald Acuna Jr. (finger) went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in his return to the Braves lineup. … Johnny Cueto surrendered five runs on eight hits over three innings in a loss to the Padres in his return to action… Chris Paddack struck out four over four scoreless frames in his return on the other side of that matchup. … Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth each homered for the Padres in that victory. … Trevor Bauer struck out nine over six innings of two-run ball in a tough-luck loss to the Angels.
