Mets third base prospect Brett Baty reportedly left in the fourth inning of the game between the Syracuse Mets and Rochester Red Wings with an apparent injury.
As reported by MMN’s own Michael Mayer, a trainer came to visit Baty at home plate during his third inning plate appearance.
Check back with MMN for more updates on Baty’s potential injury.
ORIGINAL POST:
Tuesday April 4, 2023 ⋅ 2:05 PM
NBT Bank Stadium ⋅ Syracuse, NY
RHP Alex Valverde (0-0, -.–) vs.Paolo Espino (0-0, -.–)
SYRACUSE LINEUP
- Danny Mendick, LF
- Brett Baty, 3B
- Francisco Álvarez, C
- Mark Vientos, 1B
- Jonathan Araúz 2B
- Ronny Mauricio, SS
- Khalil Lee, RF
- Lorenzo Cedrola, CF
- Carlos Cortes, DH
Baty, Álvarez, and Vientos are off to a great start to the season. All three batters have already homered at least once this season and have an OPS of at least 1.050. With Araúz’s strong start to the season, he breaks up the four über prospects slotting in between Vientos and Mauricio.
Valverde makes his season debut. He was claimed from the Tampa Bay Rays organization in December 2021. He made 17 starts and six relief appearances for Double-A Binghamton last season going 2-8 with a 5.79 ERA, 1.517 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9, and a 10.1 K/9.
ROCHESTER LINEUP
- Darren Baker, 2B
- Chad Pinder, 3B
- Yadiel Hernandez, RF
- Travis Blankenhorn, LF
- Matt Adams, 1B
- Wilson Garcia, DH
- Kevin Plawecki, C
- Jeter Downs, SS
- Franklin Barreto, CF
Paolo Espino, SP
The Rochester Red Wings lineup does not feature any of the Washington Nationals top 30 prospects. Two instantly recognizable names for New York Mets fans are Blankenhorn and Plawecki. Blankenhorn began last season with Syracuse and was called up for one game with the Mets going 0-for-3. He signed a minor league deal with the Nationals organization this offseason.
Espino made 18 starts and one relief appearance for the Nationals last season. He was 0-9 with a 4.84 ERA, 1.368 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9, and a 7.3 K/9.
GAME NOTES
This is the home opener for Syracuse. The Opening Day promotions available for fans are Taco Tuesday and trapper hat giveaway for the first 1,000 fans.
Right-handed reliever Jeff Brigham was placed on the IL on April 2. As a result, the Mets currently do not have any relievers on the 40 man roster healthy and available in Triple-A or at any other affiliate.
Blankenhorn returns to play against Syracuse after being a fan favorite last season. In 2022, he earned International League Player of the Week (June 20 – June 26) and Player of the Month (June 2022) awards.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
- Banging on the Door: Eduardo Escobar has struggled to start the season, and there have been increased calls for Baty to be promoted to the majors. So far this season, Baty has played strong defensively while hitting .357/.400/.857 with a double, two homers, and five RBI to start the season.
- Walk, Don’t Walk: The Syracuse rotation is currently tied for the third most walks issues this season. Nine of the 19 walks issued by Syracuse pitchers this season came in their last game against Worcester.
- Exit Velocity: During spring training, Vientos posted one of the best average exit velocities of all hitters. Currently, Vientos leads Triple-A with an average exit velocity of 104.9 MPH. Not too far behind him is Baty who ranks fourth with an average exit velocity of 100.9 MPH.
