With Stellar Outing Monday, Wheeler Gives Mets Plenty To Think About
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's pretty clear Zack Wheeler is sick and tired of hearing that he's not ready to resume his duties in the Mets' rotation.
With the club's brain trust expected to meet Tuesday to discuss the starting five and perhaps name the arms that will begin the 2017 season, Wheeler went out on Monday and made the only statement that matters.
On the mound.
The veteran right-hander, who had spent the previous two seasons working his way back from Tommy John surgery, pitched five stellar innings against the Miami Marlins' regular lineup, allowing just two hits while striking out three and walking two in what ended up a 5-0 win.
"I went out there and I did the best I could today," Wheeler said. "I knew today was a big day for me, not really much more to say. I did the best that I could.
"Now, I leave it up to them and what they want to do and how they want to go and how they want to handle it."
Beyond the box score, Wheeler hit all of his spots and routinely threw 93-95 mph, even hitting 97 at one point. The effort was a vast improvement over his previous outing, when he allowed four earned runs in a relief appearance against the Marlins last Wednesday.
Last week it looked like Wheeler was bound for extended spring training, but with the injury to Steven Matz creating a void in the rotation, the Mets now have two holes to fill. Rookie Robert Gsellman is appears to be a lock for one of the spots and it was assumed that Seth Lugo would take the other. However, on the same day Wheeler seemed to put it all together, Lugo struggled, allowing four earned runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in a split-squad game against Washington.
"It's common sense coming into today, I needed to pitch a little better," Wheeler said. "Today was more of a game for me and getting locked in a little bit more and really concentrated out there on the mound and tried to get ahead of guys and that's what I did."
Regardless if Wheeler starts in the rotation, it is believed the Mets are planning on limiting his innings to around 130 this season. Manager Terry Collins, however, said all of that was expected to be mulled over during the meeting.
"We've got to decide whether or not he should be there. The kind of pressure we are going to put on him is a lot and he hasn't done that in a long time," Collins said of Wheeler. "By throwing strikes his stuff is so good, he is somebody you got to say 'Hey look, you got to give him the ball every five days and see what he can do early in the season.' Get his feet wet.
"Those decisions will come shortly."
