Had other factors been different, the news that Noah Syndergaard will not be back until at least August could have rocked the Mets to their core. This is a team that took the field on Thursday with 17 players on their injured list, disrupting their best-laid plans while wreaking havoc on their 40-man roster.
It was also a team that stood alone in first place in the National League East, despite injuries to six members of its Opening Day lineup and two-fifths of its expected midsummer rotation. Syndergaard won’t be back anytime soon as he deals with inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow. Nor will Carlos Carrasco, who tore his hamstring in Spring Training and still isn’t close to a return. So the work of keeping this team afloat has fallen to the other, healthy members of this rotation.
To that end, Marcus Stroman and Joey Lucchesi combined for 9 2/3 effective innings, and the bullpen was near-perfect in a doubleheader sweep of the Rockies at Citi Field. Stroman delivered six scoreless innings to guide the Mets to a breezy 1-0 win in Game 1, before Lucchesi mostly held the Rockies in check in a 4-2 victory in Game 2.
“Obviously, we have to kind of carry the load until those guys get back,” Stroman said. “But I think we’re up to the task.”
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].