Palladino: Mets Badly Need Healthy Matz Taking His Turn Every Week
By Ernie Palladino
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There are no two ways about it. Terry Collins needs Steven Matz whole, productive, and ready for the long haul.
Think about that for a minute. Even as the Mets continue to hang off the first-place Nationals' shoulder, Collins is relying on his nominal fourth starter to add stability to what was once regarded as one of the best rotations in baseball.
It just shows the fragility that hangs over this staff. And it explains why Collins may take a deep breath or two as he watches the young Matz work against the Brewers on Friday, thus ending a short hiatus caused by a twinge in that valuable left elbow.
With Tuesday's MRI confirming Matz' sore elbow and tight forearm did not involve any structural damage, and Wednesday's bullpen session clearing the way for a return to the rotation, Matz appears to be in good shape physically. But the fact that he had a twinge at all could be interpreted as an omen, a lead-in to some bad things coming down the road.
So Collins will undoubtedly be feeling some of the things his Yankees counterpart, Joe Girardi, feels whenever Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound. Of course, the situations are a little different, since Tanaka has an existing tear.
But the idea is the same. The last thing the Mets need is for a key component to miss a significant period. Thankfully, that wasn't the case with Matz. He skipped his start Saturday in Colorado and had his next start pushed back a couple of days. But that resulted in Matz missing the Nationals series. By extension, he will also miss next week's three games in Washington.
Colon took that start instead, and will undoubtedly face the Nationals again next week. For all the joy and excitement 43-year-old "Big Sexy" brings to the mound, his start Wednesday proved a real groaner as his usually strong command dissipated in a five-walk, five-hit mess over 4 2/3 innings.
MORE: Kallet: Mets' Colon Is Human After All, On And Off The Field
In a game that could have put the Mets back in first place, Matz would have been a much better option considering only one of Colon's three victories has come against a winning team.
At 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA, the young lefty has become much more than a typical fourth starter.
Consider, too, the overall nature of the rotation. Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey have elbows that have undergone Tommy John surgery. Matz, himself, had Tommy John surgery in 2010.
Where deGrom seems fine, Harvey is clearly struggling with an altered delivery. Whatever is happening there -- some believe his problems stem from a higher arm slot, Collins believes it's a carryover from the 210 innings he pitched last year -- it is causing fatigue.
A tired arm and the compensatory mechanical tinkering Harvey has undertaken creates added stress that could lead to trouble down the road.
A significant injury or two would leave deGrom and Noah Syndergaard as the mainstays. That's not a horrible scenario. A lot of teams wish they had a one-two punch like that. But it would represent a major departure from the preseason projections of a high-octane, four-pitcher combo.
All that happy talk depended on the continued health of the starters. Matz' trip to the Hospital for Special Surgery Tuesday showed a potential crack.
With Harvey struggling, Colon shaky against good teams, and Zack Wheeler not due back from Tommy John surgery until July, one can see why Collins might be crossing his fingers and toes that Matz makes it through Friday's start unscathed.
He needs them all.
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