New York Mets

New York Mets right-handed starting pitcher Max Scherzer is planning on starting Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds after missing more than a month because of an oblique injury.

Scherzer, an eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner, has gone 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 49.2 innings (eight starts) for the Mets this season. This is his first year with the team after signing a three-year, $130 million contract over the offseason.

The 2019 World Series winner played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers before heading to Flushing.

Scherzer has been sidelined since May 18, when he took himself out of a start against the St. Louis Cardinals after suffering an apparent injury.

One day later, word emerged that Scherzer would go on the injured list with a "moderate to high grade" oblique strain that would cost him six-to-eight weeks, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

On June 4, a team official told Mike Puma of the New York Post that Scherzer's dog bit the pitcher's throwing hand but that it wouldn't cost him more time on the injured list. Scherzer cleared up any confusion.

Scherzer's return will be a boost to the Mets' starting rotation, which has also been without two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in his right scapula) and Tylor Megill (biceps tendinitis), although the latter pitcher has since returned. Chris Bassitt was also placed on the injured list on Friday.

The Mets have managed to weather the storm and sit first in the National League East with a 47-29 record. New York can still use Scherzer back and healthy as soon as possible as the team looks to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Fortunately for them, his return is imminent.

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is willing to defend his Home Run Derby crown in July.

Alonso told Jon Heyman of the New York Post he will "strongly consider" competing in this year's event if he is named to the National League All-Star team.

"It's a fun event," he added.

Alonso is the reigning two-time derby champion. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the biggest story from the 2019 event because of his historic performance, but it was the Mets star who walked away with the championship.

The 2020 derby was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and MLB brought it back in 2021 at Coors Field in Colorado. Alonso turned in a historic showing with a first-round record 35 homers, and he defeated Baltimore Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini in the finals.

"I think I'm the best power hitter on the planet," Alonso said after his second win. "Being able to showcase that and really put on a fun display for fans, it's truly a dream come true for me. When I was younger, my parents actually let me stay up past my bedtime to watch this."

Ken Griffey Jr. is the only player to win the Home Run Derby three times, while Yoenis Cespedes was the last player to win the derby in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014.

Alonso seems like a safe bet to make the NL All-Star squad. He's one of two finalists for the starting first base spot, along with Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Even if Alonso doesn't get the starting nod, his performance this season warrants being an All-Star. The 27-year-old is hitting .280/.359/.560, ranks second in the NL with 22 homers and leads Major League Baseball with 69 RBI.

All-Star rosters will be revealed July 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The 2022 Home Run Derby will be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 18.

The New York Mets might get one of their aces back soon.

Max Scherzer hasn't pitched since May 18 because of an oblique injury, but Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reported next Sunday's matchup against the Miami Marlins is in "consideration" for a return game.

The potential return is dependent on things going well in a minor league rehab start Tuesday.

Scherzer is ahead of schedule and recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection. New York initially said the right-hander was expected to miss six to eight weeks with the "moderate to high-grade internal" strain, and a Sunday return would mark five-and-a-half weeks.

Yet he stressed caution with a rehab start looming.

"The reality is I can very easily have a rehab start, have it be tight and want to actually do it again before I go into a game," Scherzer said Thursday. "I'm very aware of working through this injury, really focused on not having a setback."

The Mets are in first place in the National League East at 44-24 despite a number of injuries to their starting rotation.

Jacob deGrom has not pitched this season because of a right shoulder injury, and Tylor Megill is currently out with a right shoulder strain. It is a testament to the team's depth that it is still 5.5 games ahead of the defending champion Atlanta Braves in the division race.

Having Scherzer healthy for the stretch run and playoffs is more important than the immediate future given his status as one of the best pitchers of his generation.

He has three Cy Young awards, eight All-Star selections and a World Series crown on his resume and could be in position to add to it come October if the Mets continue to play at such an elevated level.

The New York Mets are without their ace duo of Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, and it may be a while before either can return.

DeGrom, who has a stress reaction in his right scapula, will throw his fifth bullpen session Friday and still needs to make "several rehab starts" before he returns, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Scherzer, meanwhile, will throw a simulated game Thursday before going on a rehab assignment. Rosenthal said Scherzer can "throw 100 percent right now" but doesn't know how often he can do it, or how long he could sustain it, as he recovers from a strained left oblique.

The 33-year-old deGrom missed more than half of last season with right side and right forearm injuries and has yet to pitch this season. The four-time All-Star and two-time National League Cy Young Award winner is arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

Scherzer, 37, suffered his injury on May 18.

"The way to describe this injury, the rehab of this, half the battle's getting back to 90 percent and then the second half of this battle's from 90 percent to 100 percent," he told reporters Tuesday. "With the trainers here, we've done a great job of getting back to 90 percent, but I'm still in a fight there to try to get to 100 percent. We've done good work to get to this point, but I've still got a lot in front of me."

The Mets signed the eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner to a three-year, $130 million deal in November. He has made eight starts, going 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 49.2 innings.

Despite the absences, the Mets are 41-22, the best mark in the National League. They hold a five-game edge on the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and a nine-game lead on the Philadelphia Phillies. The Los Angeles Dodgers (38-23) and San Diego Padres (39-24) are on the Mets' heels for the top spot in the NL.

Getting back deGrom and Scherzer will only make them more dangerous.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen told Jon Heyman of the New York Post that the team is not ruling anything out in advance of the August 2 non-waiver trade deadline.

"I’m not ruling out anything," Cohen said. "It would be dumb to rule anything out. You always have to keep your optionality."

The 41-22 Mets own a five-game lead in the National League East. Their win-loss mark is also second in all of Major League Baseball behind only the New York Yankees.

The Mets are on fire despite two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom being out all season with a stress reaction in his right scapula. They've also been without three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (oblique strain) since May 18.

However, they can't rest easy right now.

The Mets aren't in any danger of missing the playoffs barring a monumental collapse, but they certainly would like to finish top two in the NL standings, which would enable them to skip the Wild Card Round.

They need to win the NL East to do that, but taking the division isn't a formality with the Atlanta Braves on a 13-game winning streak. They now sit five games back of the Mets.

The postseason picture is shaping up to be a competitive one. Out west, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres look formidable, while the St. Louis Cardinals have flown into first in the NL Central.

Ultimately, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Mets be active at the deadline given Cohen's penchant to spend and the potential for a difficult and competitive pennant race.

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is considered day-to-day after an MRI revealed that he didn't suffer a fracture in his injured right hand, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Alonso told reporters on Wednesday that he's unsure if the injury will require a stint on the injured list, but his hand was still swollen.

"I'm kind of surprised in a good way how it feels today," Alonso said.

Alonso exited New York's loss to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday after getting hit in the hand by a pitch in the top of the second inning. The Mets said initial X-rays on Alonso came back negative, but he was set for further testing.

It's a bit of deja vu for Alonso, who was forced to miss time last season because of a hand injury after he was hit by a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals. He still managed to appear in 152 games in 2021.

As of June 8, New York players have been hit by a pitch 40 times this season, six more than any other team in the majors. Alonso had been hit seven times, on pace to easily surpass the 12 times he was nailed last season.

In his fourth year in MLB, Alonso is the face of the Mets offense. The 27-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 16 home runs and first with 54 RBI while slashing .282/.363/.546 through 58 games in 2022.

Any amount of time without Alonso in the lineup is a significant blow to the Mets' offense. Dominic Smith is likely to fill his spot at third base, but it will be up to players like Francisco Lindor and Eduardo Escobar to produce at the plate while Alonso is sidelined.

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso exited Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres after getting hit in the hand by a pitch in the top of the second inning. He appeared to be in "considerable pain" as he walked off the field:

Albanese later reported X-rays on Alonso's hand were negative, although the first baseman would undergo further imaging.

The 27-year-old missed time last season with a hand injury that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals but still appeared in 152 games.

When healthy, Alonso is one of the most important pieces of New York's lineup. He blasted 53 home runs with 120 RBI as a rookie in 2019, 16 long balls in 57 games during the shortened 2020 campaign, and 37 homers to go with 94 RBI in 2021.

He is slashing .282/.360/.546 with 16 home runs and 54 RBI through 57 games this season.

While the Mets are nowhere near as dangerous when Alonso is not in the lineup, they will likely turn toward Dominic Smith at first base if their star is sidelined following this setback.

The New York Mets are dealing with a number of injuries to their starting rotation, and they will reportedly look to address their pitching depth across the roster ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Andy Martino of SNY reported the National League East team "will not merely be looking at late-inning relief help over the next two months, but quality pitching more generally, even though they expect to have Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tylor Megill back."

That the Mets will be a buyer at the deadline is anything but a surprise.

After all, they leads the NL East by nine games at 38-19 after not making the playoffs since the 2016 campaign. This is a golden opportunity to not only reach the postseason, but to also challenge for their first title since the famed 1986 group that defeated the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

Scherzer and Megill haven't pitched since May, and deGrom is yet to take the mound this season.

While deGrom and Scherzer are two of the best pitchers in baseball and will give the Mets a dominant one-two punch in any playoff series, the team also needs more arms to get through the long season.

What's more, Martino noted "the way teams have game-planned in the postseason in recent years" is also one reason New York is interested in starters in addition to potential bullpen trade candidates such as David Robertson and Andrew Chafin.

Starters can shift to the bullpen in October and help cover all-important innings in the middle of games, which also keeps the elite arms healthier as the pursuit of a World Series continues.

Getting a middle-of-the-road starter who can do just that may be the route New York chooses, because it does not want to trade top prospects like catcher Francisco Alvarez and third baseman Brett Baty, per Martino.

That could limit their ability to land a game-changer, but they already have two of those in deGrom and Scherzer. Additional depth may be the key for a deep playoff run.