Palladino: Aches And Pains Could Jeopardize Mets' Playoff Hopes
By Ernie Palladino
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The Mets broke out for 17 runs in the last two wins against Pittsburgh, and that's kind of nice.
Whether the good offensive fortunes last is a different proposition. Despite the recent production -- 11 runs in support of Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday and six to back up Bartolo Colon on Thursday, nagging injuries still hang over Terry Collins' squad.
Several of those ailments happen to involve the back, a tricky area where boo-boos tend to stick around. So for those who believe Neil Walker's homer and double in a 3-for-4, three-RBI night Thursday in his return from three missed starts due to a tight back represents the end of his saga, well, cross your fingers.
So, too, should they still be concerned about Michael Conforto's sore wrist despite his 2-for-4, one-homer contribution to Thursday's 6-4 win. And one might also keep in mind Juan Lagares' tenuous situation with a torn thumb ligament that has landed him on the DL.
Add to that Lucas Duda's continuing absence with a stress fracture in his back, and one can see the Mets remain too beat up to duplicate the machine-like effort of the last two months of 2015.
Collins, who suffered his own health scare in Milwaukee, doesn't quite know what to do about any of it.
That's a problem. And it has grown severe enough that the baseball team in Flushing has started to look like some of the New York Giants' football rosters of previous years. Remember those days, when enough ligaments popped and hammys stretched like violin strings to decimate entire positions?
If the spate of injuries doesn't abate, the Mets could well find themselves in that exact position. Especially if none of the healthier Mets step up to provide the kind of hitting that supporting actors Kelly Johnson, Wilmer Flores, Rene Rivera, and James Loney offered in the three-homer game against the Pirates on Wednesday.
More likely, the Mets will have more games like Jacob deGrom's 4-0 loss of Tuesday, where a lineup playing without Walker, Duda, and David Wright produced just three hits to ruin the right-hander's six-inning, two-run outing.
Collins isn't going to panic just yet, and he shouldn't. The Mets sit seven games above .500 and a game up in the wildcard race. On the other hand, a wildcard spot is not what the Mets had in mind this year. They want the division, which the Nationals now command with a 4 ½-game lead.
MORE: Kallet: It's Looking More And More Like Wild Card Is Mets' Path To Playoffs
The overall injury situation hasn't helped the situation. The organization's initial reluctance to put Lagares on the DL with a torn thumb ligament forced it to play with a short bench. The overall strength has been depleted with the list of back injuries.
Walker required medication to settle his back. He was supposed to return Wednesday, but had to sit. Doctors finally cleared him to play Thursday.
Duda hasn't been in the lineup since May 21, and may not come off the DL for a long time as he waits for the stress fracture in his lower back to heal.
David Wright, possibly done forever after Thursday's operation for a herniated neck disc, will still be eternally hindered by the spinal stenosis that was diagnosed last year even if he does return from the surgery. The Mets might just decide to move on from Wright before he returns late this year or next.
Even Asdrubal Cabrera has battled some back issues.
While the situation hasn't become dire, especially in light of the last two games, the Mets probably shouldn't wait to find a fix. This is stacking up to be the kind of year where injuries will haunt them all the way through the schedule. Sandy Alderson has already brought in Loney from Tampa Bay, but he has offered only marginal help in 14 games at first base.
So Alderson might want to contemplate making a trade for catcher Jonathan Lucroy, currently hitting .311 with 10 homers and 31 RBI for the Brewers.
If he deems that one too expensive -- Milwaukee would probably want Zack Wheeler in exchange -- then he can only wait and hope that the injury situation settles down. If it doesn't, the general hitting malaise will only continue to hound the Mets' pitchers.
If that becomes a reality, even wildcard possibilities could fade by the time August rolls around.
There is little Collins can do about the injuries. They happen. In 2011, the Mets had a rash of ribcage strains to pitchers as well as position players.
Now it's the back, among other nagging boo-boos.
The question is not how the organization can stop the injuries. It can't. It's about how the Mets react to them.
So far, Collins and Alderson have been content to play the waiting game and hope the backs and other body parts heal properly.
But they can't hold off too long. A banged-up lineup can only do so much.
Despite the recent turnaround, the time is fast approaching to bolster the lineup with more healthy bodies, if only to have their pitchers' backs come crunch time.
Follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino
