Seth Lugo

New York Mets’ relievers Dellin Betances and Seth Lugo are edging closer

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The New York Mets continue to round into form with less than a month away from the start of the regular season. The battles for rotation spots and places in the bullpen and the bench are more intense than ever, and there is a highly competitive setting in training camp and spring games.

Two relievers that, if healthy, will have theis spots safe in the roster are Seth Lugo and Dellin Betances. The former was one of the National League’s best relievers last season – to be fair, he has been elite for several years – and the latter is eager to show he is healthy and can be an option from day one after tearing his Achilles in September.

The New York Mets haven’t yet offered a timetable to return when it comes to the pair of stellar hurlers. Lugo fractured his left pinkie toe in a hotel accident a couple of weeks ago. That incident resulted in several days lost, but he has been throwing from a mound for a while and could return any day now. His status for opening day isn’t in danger, at least not yet.

The Mets are taking it easy with both relievers

The idea is for Lugo to appear in Grapefruit League games this week, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

He threw a round of live batting practice on Sunday. Rehabbing slugger Yoenis Cespedes belted two home runs off him.

“The second one where he fell down, he just got it in the wind. The first one, that was a good swing, but I wouldn’t pitch him like that in a real game, so I knew what I was getting into,” Lugo said.

Betances, meanwhile, threw his own round of live batting practice on Friday. The Mets are taking baby steps with him given the nature of his injury.

However, the expectation is that Betances is ready and available for opening day. The tear he suffered was partial, which helped the healing process quite a bit. He was one of the most dominant relievers in all baseball since 2014, but only threw an inning last season because of a myriad of ailments.

New York Mets: Seth Lugo returns to the mound five days after fracturing his pinkie toe

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Just five days after fracturing his left pinkie to in a hotel room incident, New York Mets reliever Seth Lugo is back to throwing off a mound. That means he can return to his normal routine and can prepare for the season with no restrictions.

The week didn’t start on the right foot, if you will, for the star reliever. He banged his pinkie with an ottoman and tests revealed a small fracture. The Mets’ righty only missed a couple of days, though: he was throwing long toss on Friday and today, he returned to the mound.

Lugo threw a successful bullpen session at the New York Mets’ camp this morning. The Monday incident is now officially in the rearview mirror.

As far as running goes, the injury may limit Lugo somewhat for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks. However, he should be more than ready for Opening Day.

The Mets have a formidable bullpen

The Mets are expected to let Edwin Diaz regain his closer role after his nightmarish 2019 season. However, Lugo will be, once again, the most important reliever in the roster.

He will return to setup duties and form a very good group of relievers. The Mets currently have Diaz, Lugo, Robert Gsellman, Brad Brach, free agent signing Dellin Betances, Justin Wilson, and whoever loses the battle for a rotation spot between Steven Matz, Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello.

Lugo is a career 3.27 ERA pitcher in 346.2 innings, with a 8.75 K/9 and a 2.34 BB/9. Last season was among the finest of his major league tenure with the Mets: his ERA was 2.70 (he had the same FIP) he struck out 11.70 batters per each nine innings and handed out 1.80 BB/9.

A healthy Seth Lugo will make sure that the New York Mets have a competitive and deep bullpen to navigate through the tough NL East.

New York Mets: Seth Lugo keeps progressing and is nearing mound work

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A couple of days after fracturing his left pinkie toe, New York Mets’ star reliever Seth Lugo is progressing nicely.

While live batting practice sessions are getting very competitive on the Mets’ camp, Lugo is taking things slow after the unfortunate incident.

He threw off flat ground on Thursday in spite of his ailing toe. That goes to show that the injury is of the minor variety, and is a very good sign that he won’t miss any time other than his routine being delayed a couple of days.

In fact, both the pitcher and the team insist that the issue is not major. But, just in case, he will refrain from throwing off a mound for at least one more day, according to MLB beat writer Anthony DiComo.

“It doesn’t really bother him much to throw,” manager Luis Rojas said to DiComo. “There are no big concerns on what he’s doing on a daily basis right now. [He’s] just not off the mound yet.”

The Mets’ star reliever is getting out of the woods

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Lugo sounded “confident this morning that he will return to throwing from a mound this weekend. Lugo said much of the discomfort has subsided from his fractured left pinkie toe.”

The Mets are in the final preparations before spring training games begin. The plan was to play a simulated game late Friday morning in what it is the final day of practice prior to the real action.

Rojas noted that pitchers will not actually throw in the game, but the position players would use the format to work on hitting off pitching machines and other aspects of the game, such as defense, baserunning and coaching signs. Per Rojas, the game would be “competitive.”

“It will be kind of like getting into a game before we start playing games on Saturday,” the New York Mets’ skipper said, “so the guys get their feet wet.”

New York Mets dodge a bullet as Seth Lugo is set to resume throwing following pinkie fracture

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Yesterday, New York Mets‘ fans saw a headline with the words “Seth Lugo” and “fractured.” At first glance, they thought the worst had happened. However, the details are encouraging. The break is small and is in his left pinkie toe.

That doesn’t make it any less painful (we all have banged our pinkie toe with something and know what it’s like) but the fact is that Lugo, who is arguably the Mets’ most valuable reliever, is already set to throw long-toss on Wednesday in Mets’ training camp in Port St. Lucie.

The news was confirmed by New York Post’s writer Mike Puma. The pitcher banged his left pinkie toe against an ottoman on Monday. The bizarre thing is that the injury didn’t take place on the field. Instead, it happened in his hotel room.

The Mets pitcher will soon work from a mound

But fear no more! Lugo is already throwing again and the expectation is that he soon resumes working from a mound.
While it seemed, at first, that he was going to be a little behind his peers due to the incident, that no longer seems to be the case.

In fact, there are now no concerns whatsoever about his ability to resume throwing from a mound sooner rather than later. Lugo will be ready in time for the start of the 2020 season with the New York Mets.

The Mets could not afford to lose him for a significant period of time. Yes, the team signed Dellin Betances and has Edwin Diaz, Brad Brach, Justin Wilson and company, but Lugo was a star among stars in 2019. He pitched to a 2.70 ERa (2.70 FIP) in 80 innings. The righty had a 11.70 K/9 and a BB/9 of 1.80, both excellent marks.

He was actually one of the best relievers in the National League.

Mets’ Reliever Seth Lugo Suffers Toe Fracture

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Let the 2020 injury train begin for the New York Mets. The team that has sustained more injuries in recent years is off to another quick start this season as it was revealed today that top reliever Seth Lugo has suffered a fractured left pinky toe.

The Mets said the injury occurred in Lugo’s hotel room on Monday night down in Port St. Lucie. There was no report of a wild boar in the room.  Mets manager Luis Rojas downplayed the incident as minor.

From SNY.tv:

Rojas said there is “no concern at all” and that Lugo will refrain from throwing for roughly three days before ramping back up again.

 

“It’s probably gonna take a little later until he starts participating in games, but we’re not concerned about it. … they’re doing a padding on his spikes,” Rojas added. “He was testing it walking around today and everything. It’s his left foot, so landing on it the next three days we’ll see how it progresses and then he’ll start throwing.”

Lugo was used strictly as a reliever in 2019, going 7-4 with a 2.70 earned run average in 80 innings over 61 games. He is one of the Mets’ most relievable bullpen arms. The injury could keep him from pitching in some upcoming Grapefruit League games which begin this Saturday.

 

Lugo Says Astros’ Cheating Scam Cost Him a Spot in Mets’ Rotation

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How deep has the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing endeavor affected Major League Baseball? The rippling effects are endless, it seems. The New York Mets’ 2020 season has already been disrupted as their newly hired manager, Carlos Beltran, was let go after being identified as the ‘Godfather’ of the scheme.

The Met shave replaced Beltran with Luis Rojas, an up-and-coming managerial candidate but not the one they had hoped to compete with this season and beyond.

But there are others who have felt the sting of the cheating scandal. Mets’ reliever Seth Lugo claims that the Astros scam during a game in 2017 cost him a potential role in the Mets’ 2018 starting rotation.

From Newsday’s Tim Healey: 

Lugo’s cameo in this saga came on Sept. 2, 2017, in the second game of a doubleheader in Houston. As the Mets limped to the end of a losing season, Lugo was in the rotation, a de facto audition for 2018 — invaluable reps for a second-year player trying to establish himself in the majors.

 

For five innings, Lugo managed to shut out the Astros, scattering five hits and a walk. Then came the bottom of the sixth: single, walk, single, single. Just like that, one of the best starts of Lugo’s young career was over after 75 pitches.

 

“I remember pitching really good the first half of the game, and then I don’t know why, they knocked me out of the game in one inning,” Lugo said. “I pitched that inning. I was making good pitches. And when you execute a pitch, you shouldn’t give up good hits. Maybe a little bloop or a ground ball up the middle or something. But their whole approach changed.”

 

Hansel Robles entered and allowed both inherited runners to score, including one on a sacrifice fly by J.D. Davis, now with the Mets. Lugo’s final line wasn’t pretty: five innings, eight hits, four runs (all earned), two walks, six strikeouts.

 

The next spring, Lugo was back in contention for a starting role, but the dearth of effective pitchers in the bullpen forced the Mets’ hand and Lugo was banished. He appeared in 54 games in 2018 but started only five. In 2019, Lugo was used strictly as a bullpen option, pitching 80 innings over 61 appearances.

He is no longer in their plans as a starter. Lugo can only watch as the Mets traded for Marcus Stroman last summer and signed Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello this winter to seal the back end of their rotation.

“It doesn’t feel good thinking about the Astros situation, but it’s in the past, honestly,” Lugo said. “If I could’ve finished a shutout against the Astros that game…who knows where I could be?”

True. Just one of the many side stories of this devastating saga that has altered the game of baseball for the foreseeable future and perhaps beyond.

 

New York Mets: Seth Lugo’s Starter Aspirations

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Seth Lugo has been everything the New York Mets could ask for as a reliever over the last two seasons. Despite all of his bullpen’s success, Lugo has made it clear multiple times that he views himself as a starting pitcher. Though his desires are strong, his ultimate goal is to help the Mets win games any way he can.

Due to the current starting pitching depth, it is hard to see Lugo getting a chance to start this season. He is also coming off a terrific season and will likely be the closer if Edwin Diaz does not return to his dominant form. During his career, he has a 4.06 ERA in 31 career starts compared to a 2.52 ERA out of the bullpen. Like most pitchers, Lugo also sees a velocity and strikeout increase in the bullpen.

Caution With Lugo

During 2019, the Mets implemented a rest system to prevent future injury to Lugo’s partial UCL tear in his right arm. He got the same amount of days rest as innings pitched, and he rarely pitched on back to back days. Adam Wainwright and Masahiro Tanaka have been starters with UCL tears. Wainwright eventually had to get Tommy John Surgery, and Tanaka very rarely eclipses 100 pitches in a start.

The longer he pitches through the injury, the more likely it is to tear fully. Remaining as a utility man out of the bullpen is better for both Lugo’s and the Mets future. There is now enough depth in the bullpen where the Mets will not have to push Lugo as much as they did during the second half of 2019. No matter where he pitches in 2020, Lugo is going to be a valued member of a revamped Mets pitching staff.

Mets: Uncertainty in the Bullpen Top Story Again This Spring

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What else is new? The New York Mets opened their 2020 spring training yesterday with several questions that need to be answered such as how the team will react o new manager Luis Rojas, who is going play where, and what (if any) impact Yoenis Cespedes will have this season. But no question is more burning than the annual conundrum of the lineup out in the bullpen.

Who is going to be the closer? John Harper of SNY.tv has a few thoughts. Rojas is willing to let things play out as they unfold, a lot like what Mickey Callaway did in pitching the hot hand. In fact, having undefined roles in the bullpen can be advantageous, but in the Mets’ case it’s being done because they just don’t have a bonafide closer. From Harper:

That would seem to open the door for all kinds of possibilities, considering that Seth Lugo was brilliant in the late innings last year, yet limited by the partial tear in his elbow ligament, which compromised his ability to be the full-time closer. And Dellin Betances could well return from injuries as a Yankee to being one of the best relievers in baseball.

 

Throw in the possibility that Jeurys Familia’s extreme weight loss could get him back on track — or so the Mets hope — as well as lefty Justin Wilson delivered dominance in the second half of last season, and this could be a ‘pen built for mixing and matching, as dictated by analytics.

 

But that usually sounds better in theory than it works in reality, as relievers prefer to know their roles and having a closer creates easier decision-making for the manager.

 

Edwin Diaz still figures to get the first crack, in part because Van Wagenen gave up so much to get him, but how Rojas goes about using his relievers will be a huge test for the new manager.

As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts here and none of them are ironclad solutions. Lugo and Betances coming off injury and the others all coming off down years. Forgive me if I’m not excited.

Baseball is a long season and things have a way of working out. But with all of this uncertainty Met fan would like to have a few more constants and a lot less variables in this haphazard equation.

Projecting the New York Mets Bullpen

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Despite their struggles from 2019, the New York Mets bullpen is set to rebound. They have added new arms to go along with the talented relievers who are looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons. The potential is very high, but there is also a chance the bullpen falls right on their face.

Edwin Diaz

Edwin Diaz was the price piece from the deal that sent Jared Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners and failed miserably. His home runs per nine skyrocketed, and he eventually lost his closer role. This should not be the norm for Diaz, who will have a bounce-back season. During spring training, he should regain the position as the Mets closer and live up to the hype he had in 2019.

Seth Lugo

Seth Lugo had an unbelievable 2019 season. He was reliable out of the bullpen, pitching to a 2.70 ERA with 104 strikeouts. Lugo’s ability to pitch multiple innings made him a valuable asset down the stretch of the season. He pleads to be a starter for the Mets, but they need his talents to remain in the bullpen.

 

Dellin Betances

Dellin Betances is a major wild card in the Mets bullpen due to his health problems in 2019. He struck out the only two batters he faced before dealing with an Achilles injury. When healthy, Betances is a top-five reliever in baseball, striking out 100+ batters in five straight seasons before 2019. He is the big arm the Mets needed in the bullpen.

Jeurys Familia

Speaking of wild cars, there is no bigger one in the Mets bullpen than Jeurys Familia. Command issues and injuries hampered his 2019 season as he lost his eighth-inning role. Familia contributed his weight to his issues, and he came into spring training in much better shape. Not too long ago, he was a dominant closer, so having him as potentially the fourth-best reliever is a great sign.

Justin Wilson

After battling injuries, Justin Wilson emerged as a dominant force out of the Mets bullpen. His ability to get hitters from both sides out made him a precious asset. Wilson went overlooked as a terrific signing by Brodie Van Wagenen.

Robert Gsellman

Robert Gsellman was not anything special out of the bullpen but was someone who was relied upon to eat innings. His hard sinker and curveball became weapons for him. Gsellman’s strikeout rate also increased, which showed his potential going into 2020. This will be a colossal leap year, which will allow him to emerge into a key role out of the Mets bullpen.

Brad Brach

Brad Brach quietly arrived with the Mets a put together a solid cameo with them. He had a rough time in Chicago but is another reliever who has a track record of being one of the best in baseball. Brach will mostly be used in low leverage roles but is another guy the Mets can trust in crucial spots.

Michael Wacha

Michael Wacha may have signed with the Mets to start, but it is hard to see that happening. Thanks to the roster expansion to 26-players, Wacha can become a long man/spot starter. After spending his last few years in St. Louis struggling, the Mets hope to rekindle the success he once had.

New York Mets: Seth Lugo Year in Review

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The savior the New York Mets desperately need in the bullpen was the right arm of Seth Lugo. There were numerous issues in the bullpen all season, but Lugo was the one guy the Mets could count on all year. Lugo pitched so well that he will head into 2020 as the projected closer, instead of Edwin Diaz.

Lugo came into the year as a middle inning swingman, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the starters and the combination of Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz. As both men struggled throughout the year, he quickly became the one-pitcher Mickey Callaway could rely on in the bullpen.

One Month Good, One Month Bad

While Lugo’s numbers looked good overall, he would have a great month followed by an okay month.

March/April: 4.08 ERA

May: 0.96 ERA

June: 4.85 ERA

July: 0.00 ERA!!!

August: 4.05 ERA

September: 1.29 ERA

Lugo did have some incredible stretches throughout the season, which included a streak of 15.2 straight scoreless innings, in which he only allowed four base runners. He had three scoreless innings streaks of at least ten innings in 2019.

One of the things that comes with dominance is the need to use Lugo as frequently as possible. The Mets were very stringent about avoiding using Lugo in back to back games. They also gave him the same number of days off as innings pitches (ex. two innings pitched= two days off). The “Lugo Rules” were put in place to prevent his elbow injury from worsening.

Starting Pitcher in 2020?

Lugo has made it very clear in the past that he wants to be a starting pitcher. With the acquisition of Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, it seems like he will be stuck in the bullpen once again. 2019 was the first season of Lugo’s career, where he made all of his appearances out of the bullpen. Brodie Van Wagenen said the Mets would look to get him starter ready in the offseason, but for health purposes, he will be better off in the bullpen.

Grades:

Pitching Repertoire: A+, Fastball/Curveball combo can match up with anyone in baseball. He even added a reliable changeup this year.

Control: A+, 16 walks in 80 innings pitched, seemed like he was always throwing the ball wherever he wanted.

Composure: A, Had the perfect demeanor to be a closer.

Intangibles: A+, Quiet leader, and only cares about winning.

Overall: A+, One of the best, if not the best, season by a reliever in Mets history.