Mets' David Peterson pumped to 'finally' pitch in Denver
Mets starting pitcher David Peterson throws during the first inning of a game against the Angels on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: AP/Ryan Sun
DENVER — For his entire career, David Peterson has looked forward to the special occasion arriving Thursday: a road game at home.
A longtime Denver-area resident, Peterson will pitch for the Mets in the series finale against the Rockies, his first time taking the mound at Coors Field as a professional — second time overall, including a high school all-star game a decade ago.
“Every year we’ve come, I’ve either missed it by a day on one side or the other. It’s nice that I’ll be able to throw here for the first time in the big leagues,” said Peterson, who also was sent to the minors the week before the Mets’ visit last year. “It’s exciting. It’ll be fun. I finally get to do it.”
Fun, yes, but also busy. Peterson’s non-work hours this week have been filled with seeing friends and family, including the two dozen or so who will be in the stands for his start, and checking in on the house he and his wife, Alex, are building in the suburbs.
The timing of the Mets’ trip is particularly welcome for the Petersons, who had their second child, Josephine, in mid-July. David hadn’t seen his newborn daughter since returning to the Mets after the All-Star break. In her several weeks of life, Peterson has been around for only several days — a reminder of the human price they pay for a career playing a kid’s game for big money on TV.
“It’s definitely tough having a baby and then leaving right away,” said Peterson, whose wife and kids will join him in New York in the coming weeks. “It’s nice that I have the opportunity to come back home pretty soon after.”
Peterson moved here from Southern California when he was 12 and has called it home ever since. He doesn’t identify now as an outright Rockies fan then, but that was the summer of 2007, just in time for Colorado’s improbable run to the World Series, the only National League pennant in franchise history. He went to games, had friends whose parents worked for the club and played for the travel squad funded by the major-league team.
“I’ve always had an affinity for the Rockies because of my connections to them,” Peterson said.
He’ll put that aside come first pitch as he looks to build on what has been a solid season: 3.47 ERA, plus two earned runs or fewer allowed in nine of 11 starts since returning from offseason hip surgery.
Even with a couple of young children in the house, you can bet Peterson will be rejuvenated for this one.
“A couple of nights in my own bed,” he said, “is always nice.”
Missing men
One-third of the Mets’ regulars were on the bench to start Wednesday against the Rockies: J.D. Martinez, Mark Vientos and Harrison Bader. Manager Carlos Mendoza described those decisions as matchup-based.
But Martinez also admitted to being “banged up” physically. He was batting .211 with a .617 OPS over his previous 20 games.
“He’s fine,” Mendoza said. “Every good hitter is going to go through some stretches when it’s hard for them. Even when he’s probably not feeling the way he normally would feel, he’s still going to give you good at-bats . . . He’s a really good hitter, man. I’m not worried about him.”
Bolster the bullpen?
Reed Garrett (right elbow nerve inflammation) has a “good chance” to meet the Mets in Seattle this weekend, Mendoza said.
The status of Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement) is less clear. He worked around two hits and a walk without allowing a run in an inning for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, but the Mets want to see more before bringing him back.
“He’s been dealing with this pretty much the whole year,” Mendoza said. “We want to make sure he’s 100%. His ability to bounce back is important.”
Another variable: The Mets are running low on obvious bullpen candidates to remove from the roster when they want to activate someone from the injured list.
Extra bases
Starling Marte (right knee bone bruise) went 1-for-3 with a steal and two strikeouts for Low-A St. Lucie, the start of his rehabilitation assignment. He is scheduled to play five innings in the outfield Thursday . . . With Adam Ottavino stringing together six consecutive scoreless appearances, Mendoza said he could see the righthander earning his way back into high-leverage spots. “Especially after some of the struggles he faced early in the year, he’s been great,” Mendoza said. “That’s good to see.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
