Cowtipper

This is bleak.

Francisco Lindor: Lindor (calf) played three innings in a simulated game Friday, and he could begin an official rehab assignment Monday, MLB.com reports. The star shortstop's absence from the lineup since April 22 has been a big factor in the Mets' poor start to the season, but Lindor appears to be closing in on his return. The team seems confident he won't need a lengthy rehab stint despite the long layoff, which could put him in position to be back in the lineup for a home series against the Phillies that begins June 26. Prior to straining his calf, Lindor has just begun to get rolling at the plate, slashing .304/.319/.457 over his last 12 games. Injury Calf. Est. Return 6/26/2026. Ronny Mauricio: Mauricio (thumb) could begin a rehab assignment later this week, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Mauricio has been sidelined since early May with a fractured left thumb, but he's been going through baseball activities lately and has responded well. He would seem to have a chance to be activated before the end of June, though it's not a given Mauricio will be put back on the major-league roster at that time. Injury Thumb. Est. Return 6/25/2026. Jorge Polanco: The Mets transferred Polanco (Achilles/ankle) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday. He has already spent over 60 days on the shelf, so the transaction won't affect Polanco's timeline for a return and was made for the purpose of opening up a 40-man roster spot for infielder Zack Short, whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Tigers. Polanco was pulled off his rehab assignment earlier this month when he experienced renewed soreness in his ankle, but he received a favorable evaluation after undergoing an MRI last week and is expected to resume playing in minor-league games this week. He'll be used exclusively as a designated hitter when he restarts the assignment and could eventually displace MJ Melendez as the top option at that spot once he's deemed ready to return from the IL. Injury Achilles. Est. Return 6/22/2026. Christian Scott: The Mets placed Scott on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right hip impingement. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Scott's hip issue isn't believed to be serious, which should give the right-hander a chance at returning from the IL around when he's first eligible June 27. The loss of Scott will still force the Mets to add two new members to the rotation this week, with Tobias Myers already having been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to fill one of the openings during Monday's series opener in Cincinnati. Long reliever David Peterson is a candidate to cover Scott's spot in the rotation Tuesday, and Triple-A starters Jack Wenninger and Zach Thornton also loom as potential replacements. Injury Hip. Est. Return 6/27/2026.

I can't complain. He was a stud his first year, 2023. 2024 was a single game, but a good game. 2025 was a good year overall; before his terrible final three starts, he had a 2.35 ERA in 19 games. He still finished with a 3.02 ERA. I still don't know why they sent him down to Syracuse. Of all people to send to Syracuse last year, why Senga? I think he'll rebound in 2026.

Vidal Brujan DFA'd! Zach Short to the active roster! It's like 2024 all over again! Clearly they're trying to bring back some of that 2024 magic.

Hey man, check them out! https://grandcentralmets.com/polls/

No, I didn't miss them. But the consistent mantra in my lifetime has been "next year." Singular examples don't undo the overarching whole. 1999, when I got into baseball, was 27 years ago now. The Mets are of the biggest teams in one of the biggest markets with one of the biggest fan bases, yet we have only 6 examples (I'm not counting 2016 because I see it as a dud) of anything meaningful. Six examples in 27 years. Meanwhile, equally big-market teams, the Yankees and Dodgers, have been to the playoffs 22 times and 17 times in that span, respectively. This team isn't the endearing club of 1962 anymore. It's been around 65 years. It's in a huge market. They should have learned by now some method for consistent winning. Instead, nine times out of 10, it's "til next year." The relying on the cutesie-endearing Marv Throneberry-type stuff to get us by has gotten old.. We have no excuse to be so consistently mediocre anymore. And I think a big reason a lot of stars do so poorly when the come to the Mets, like Bo Bichette, is because psychologically and subconsciously they know that no matter how much they do, no matter how much they try, more than likely it is going to be an overwhelmingly mediocre club in the long run -- and that does weigh on them.

Mets have 6 hits, the Reds have 7 ·⁶🤷⁷

WHOOPS

Duarte's been demoted! Pintaro's been promoted!

It's always next year. Why do we always have to look forward to next year. What about this year. It's always next year. That's basically been the line since, what, 1987?

I will say, Jared Young has been a wonderful surprise this year. He's the dark horse Met of 2026 so far, I'd say.

My gears are ground.

Who in their right mind would opt-in to this team?

Part of the Mets genius is keeping MJ Melendez around. Why? .204 average. .388 slugging. No speed. Yet he's still on the team. This is like when they stuck with John Mayberry Jr. or Gary Matthews Jr. for longer one could understand. Yet here Melendez is still on the roster, striking out. Which he's done 40% of the time this year. Kevin Parada, Christian Arroyo and Jihwan Bae are all hitting better than .285 for Syracuse. Matt Rudick and Yonny Hernandez all have OBPs better than .360 for Syracuse. Any of those guys could be called up to replace Melendez and you wouldn't notice a difference. Or they might even do better. Yet Melendez is still here.

Just joking. He has to go. He was given a blank check and all the money in the world and multiple seasons in a row he's given us vastly underwhelming clubs. 2024 was supposed to be underwhelming, too, but they exceeded all expectations. He's calling the transactional shots. He's built the team that's given us this embarrassing mess. He's gotta go.

This team sucks enormous, massive, nighmarishly large monkey balls. This is the true worst team money can buy.

Though I don't want to see former Mets top prospects fail, and sometimes I want them to succeed all the more once they leave the Mets, but if there is a bright side it seems like we didn't really give up much in Luisangel Acuna for Robert. Acuna's still young, but he's not doing much. Doesn't seem like we gave up much in Drew Gilbert yet, either. Or Brandon Sproat. Jett Williams ain't doing so hot this year, either.

He feels like a rental, so him opting out doesn't matter one way or the other. He doesn't feel like a Met, just another face.

Womp womp.

And you should vote, too! I don't care about the AL, so I always just vote for the current home run leaders at each position.

One thing I find about this team is it is very un-endearing. Maybe its because many of the real familiar faces are gone. But it's a rather un-endearing team.

They're going to have to go something like 54-38 the rest of the year if they want to be an 85-win team.

Right now, I just want to see the Mets not in last place.

Al Closter died. https://www.thatericalper.com/2026/06/13/al-closter-olympic-gold-medalist-and-major-league-pitcher-dies-at-82/ Who was Al Closter? Al Closter was an American left-handed pitcher whose career in professional baseball stretched from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. Born in 1943 in Creighton, Nebraska, he played college baseball at Iowa State University and gained early international experience as a member of the United States team during baseball’s demonstration event at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He signed with the New York Yankees organization as an amateur free agent in 1965. Closter’s early professional career involved frequent movement through the minor leagues and short-lived stints with multiple organizations. After being selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cleveland Indians, his contract was quickly purchased by the Washington Senators in 1966, where he made his Major League debut in a single appearance before returning to the Yankees. Most of his development years were spent in the minors, where he pitched extensively at Triple-A Syracuse and became a durable, frequently used arm. His Major League career was brief and scattered. After not appearing in the big leagues again until 1971, Closter pitched intermittently for the New York Yankees as a reliever and occasional starter, before finishing his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves in 1973. Across four seasons in the majors, he appeared in 21 games and finished with a 2–2 record and a 6.62 ERA. After retiring from baseball, Closter built a long career with Philip Morris International in product development work focused on Latin America and lived in Virginia. He remained connected to the sport through recognition from Syracuse baseball circles, including induction into its Wall of Fame in 2006. He died in 2026 at the age of 82. Also, who was Wes Gardner? Wes Gardner was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the majors from 1984 to 1991 for the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and Kansas City Royals. Born in Benton, Arkansas in 1961, he was drafted by the Mets in 1982 out of the University of Central Arkansas and made his MLB debut in 1984, throwing a perfect ninth inning in a loss to the Cubs. Gardner spent his early career as a swingman with the Mets before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in late 1985. In Boston, he had the most notable stretch of his career. He became the team’s closer in 1987, leading the club in saves, and in 1988 transitioned into the starting rotation, where he posted career-best numbers, including 8 wins, 106 strikeouts, and a 3.50 ERA. He also made his only postseason appearance that year in the American League Championship Series against Oakland. After two more seasons in Boston, his performance declined. He was traded to the Padres in 1990 but struggled and was released in 1991. He briefly caught on with the Royals, spending most of his time in the minors and making only a short, effective relief stint in the majors before being released again, ending his MLB career. Across eight seasons, Gardner finished with an 18–30 record, a 4.90 ERA, and 358 strikeouts in 189 games. He was inducted into the University of Central Arkansas Hall of Fame in 2001. Gardner died in 2026 at the age of 65 in his hometown of Benton, Arkansas. Pedro Pacheco Figueroa was a Puerto Rican amateur baseball player born in 1933 who helped win a national title in 1957 and later represented Puerto Rico in international competitions, earning medals at the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games and the 1967 Pan American Games. Beyond baseball, he was inducted into the Puerto Rican Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 and served as a legislator in Ponce for 20 years before his death in 2026. David Pierce was a minor league baseball player from North Carolina who played multiple positions from 1949 to 1954 for several teams, including the Lumberton Auctioneers and Erie Senators. After his playing career, he returned to Appalachian State Teachers College as a coach in 1959–1960 before his death in 2026.

Francisco Lindor: Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that he expects Lindor (calf) to return "this month," Chelsea Janes of SNY.tv reports. Lindor played two simulated innings against a minor-league pitcher Friday, and he will repeat that step multiple times next week. The 32-year-old is expected to require a brief rehab assignment after that. Lindor might be ready to rejoin the active roster by the Mets' next homestand that begins June 22, which would be exactly two months since he sustained a left calf strain that sent him to the injured list. Injury Calf. Est. Return 6/22/2026. Jorge Polanco: An MRI on Polanco's left ankle/Achilles tendon came back negative Tuesday, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports. Polanco has battled problems with his Achilles all season, and the Mets paused his rehab assignment Saturday due to renewed soreness in his left ankle. Now that the 32-year-old has been cleared of any structural damage, the Mets will look to have him resume batting practice within the next few days. Injury Ankle. Est. Return 6/18/2026. Luis Robert: Robert (spine) said Thursday that his back has been responding better in recent days and he expects to return before the end of this season, Chelsea Janes of SNY.tv reports. Robert was administered a series of injections in late May to combat the lumbar spine disc herniation that's kept him out of commission since late April. Those injections seem to have helped, and he might be cleared to run on the field before the end of this week. However, a timetable for Robert's return remains fuzzy, and the outfielder conceded he might have to play with some discomfort when he does make it back. Injury Back. Est. Return 7/16/2026. Kodai Senga: Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday that Senga (spine/arm) will require at least one more minor-league rehab start before the organization considers activating him from the 15-day injured list, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. The right-hander had his rehab outing pushed back early this week due to ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm, but he was able to take the mound with Double-A Binghamton on Thursday and gave up just one run across six innings. Senga built up to 75 pitches in that start, so he's already most of the way to a full starting workload and could re-enter the Mets rotation with another solid showing in the minor leagues. Injury Arm. Est. Return 6/22/2026. Tyrone Taylor: Taylor (hip) began running this past week but has yet to resume full baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports. The reserve outfielder suffered a hip injury while running out a groundball May 25. Taylor had a meager .530 OPS in 104 plate appearances when he landed on the IL, and with rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge solidifying their spots in the lineup, the 32-year-old likely won't have much of a role once he gets healthy. Injury Hip. Est. Return 6/18/2026. Syracuse Mets activated 3B Grae Kessinger from the 60-day injured list.