Instead of sulking over his 10-game suspension, Max Scherzer has chosen to view it as a positive.
“I am getting my body ready and getting through this back ailment,” the Mets co-ace said Friday. “Using this time to strengthen it so we can get this thing right and so I can get through this issue and not have to deal with it anymore.”
Scherzer, whose suspension for violating MLB’s rules on foreign substances is scheduled to conclude after Sunday’s game, had been pushed back three days in the Mets rotation because of discomfort under his right scapula before he last pitched on April 19.
He is scheduled to face the Braves on Monday, but there is a caveat: If the teams play just three games in this series because of weather, the right-hander would have to wait until Tuesday to pitch again.
Scherzer contended the stickiness on his right hand that ultimately got him ejected and suspended was formed by rosin and sweat.
He was asked if he plans to use that combination again in his next start.
“I am not commenting on that,” Scherzer said. “I don’t even know.”
Scherzer said he’s heard from “a lot” of pitchers across MLB since his suspension, but declined to say what the overall tone of the messages has been.
Before the end of next week, the Mets may have a rotation in which Scherzer and Justin Verlander have pitched together for the first time since their respective Tigers tenures.
Verlander pitched for Double-A Binghamton in a minor league rehab start on Friday.
“[Verlander] is going to help us out and provide some depth and hopefully take some load off the bullpen and get us going,” Scherzer said. “He is a big piece of what we can do. It looks like he had a good rehab start and let’s get him out there and get him healthy.”
As a thank you to the fans, the Mets will distribute a voucher to anybody who held a ticket for Friday’s rain-shortened 4-0 loss to the Braves.
The voucher can be used for any Monday-Thursday game at Citi Field (excluding the Subway Series), subject to availability.
The digital voucher will be loaded into each attending patron’s My Mets ticket account and will be accessible Saturday morning.
Pete Alonso entered play with 24 RBIs this month (he had one in March).
The franchise record for April RBIs is held by Jeff Kent, who had 26 in 1994.
Want to catch a game? The Mets schedule with links to buy tickets can be found here.
Jeff McNeil was 17-for-41 (.415) with .489 on-base percentage in his previous 11 games entering Friday. McNeil had multiple hits in three of his last four games.
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