Here are key Mets updates as the team prepares for Game 3 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field.
Return of the Mart
After going the first two games in Los Angeles without a plate appearance, J.D. Martinez has a “good chance” to return to the starting lineup in Game 3 to face right-hander Walker Buehler, per manager Carlos Mendoza.
“J.D.’s been huge for us as a team,” the skipper told the media on Tuesday. “Great guy in that clubhouse, not only from the offensive side but just the experience and the way he sees the game and how he prepares. Special guy.
“He’s a professional hitter and he means a lot to this team and to that lineup, so his presence and whenever he’s in there it makes us a better team as well.”
With just 14 at-bats this postseason, Martinez has split time with lefty-swinging Jesse Winker who got the start in Games 1 and 2, going 2-for-6 with two walks and a run scored as the designated hitter.
In a limited role, Martinez is 4-for-14 so far in the playoffs with three RBI and a run scored. The 14-year-veteran has had plenty of postseason success in his career with a .293/.385/.556 slash line and 10 home runs.
Snubbed again
On Tuesday morning Rawlings revealed finalists for their various Gold Glove awards and surprisingly Francisco Lindor was missing from the list for shortstops.
Snubbed from the All-Star team earlier in the summer and unlikely to win MVP with Shohei Ohtani‘s record-setting season, a Gold Glove seemed to be a possible consolation prize for Lindor who is having a spectacular defensive season at a premier position.
So when Mendoza saw that his shortstop was left off the list, he was shocked.
“I don’t know what to make of it,” he said. “If you ask [Lindor], the one thing he’ll tell you is he’s not here to win personal awards, he’s here to win the whole thing which is the World Series. That’s his goal, but yeah he’s an elite defender and I was shocked that he wasn’t even a finalist.”
The finalists for the award are the Chicago Cubs’ Dansby Swanson, the Colorado Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Masyn Winn.
Can Senga still go?
After a rough outing in Game 1 of the NLCS that lasted just 1.1 innings, Kodai Senga remains on the roster and is still a possibility to start in Game 5 at Citi Field.
“As of right now everything is fine,” Mendoza said about his pitcher. “He’s gonna go out there and play catch and we’ll see what we got.”
Making just his third start of the season due to multiple injuries throughout the year, the right-hander walked four batters and allowed three earned runs on Sunday. That came a week after he looked pretty good in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing a leadoff home run to Kyle Schwarber but nothing more through two innings.
With New York’s Game 2 win on Monday guaranteeing a Game 5, Mendoza and the Mets now have a decision to make regarding Senga.
“We’ll see how he feels today and how we’re gonna get there to Game 5 and we’ll make a decision,” he said.
If Senga doesn’t start on Friday, David Peterson would likely get the call instead. The left-hander pitched in relief of Senga in Game 1 and struggled as well, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk in 2.1 innings. They were the first runs he’s given up this postseason.
However, a decision has yet to be made and Mendoza said that the team has to worry about getting to that point in the first place.
“We’ll see how the game goes tomorrow, if Peterson is available for tomorrow or the next day,” Mendoza said. “We just gotta get there first. But he’s bringing a lot of value out of the bullpen as well.”
As for Game 4, Mendoza confirmed that Jose Quintana will get the starting nod as he looks to continue his late-season excellence which includes no runs allowed in two postseason starts spanning 11 innings.
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