Mets' David Peterson puts abrupt hook from last year behind him
Manager Buck Showalter #11 of the New York Mets pulls David Peterson #23 off the mound during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 04, 2022 in Los Angeles. Credit: Getty Images
OAKLAND, Calif. — To measure progress in his next start, the standard for David Peterson is simple: Pitch in a manner that manager Buck Showalter does not pull him in the middle of an at-bat.
He is due to face the Dodgers on Monday at Dodger Stadium. When he most recently pitched there, last June, his final line of 3 2/3 innings and four runs (one earned) hid the most memorable moment: Showalter decided to go to the bullpen when Peterson had Mookie Betts in an 0-and-1 count.
Ten months later, Peterson feels like a better version of himself — more frequently able to execute his pitches, more experienced, more confident.
“You have more success and more memories that you rely on in those situations,” Peterson said Friday. “There are certain situations that don’t seem as new. You’ve been in the same situation, been in a lot of different situations now multiple times over multiple years. Say from this point and the beginning of last season, I feel a lot different with my pitches just from the work that we’ve done. As you keep working, keep getting better, that only gives you more confidence.”
At the time of the Los Angeles snub last season, Peterson had been pitching well, if inefficiently, as an injury fill-in in the rotation. Betts hit two rockets off of him earlier in that game. When the first pitch of his third at-bat yielded a scorched foul ball, Showalter popped right out of the dugout.
As Showalter said at the time, “Mookie was on everything he was throwing.” Peterson said then that he was “a little surprised” to be removed.
How does he look back on that occasion?
“I think we won that game, so I was pretty happy about that,” Peterson correctly recalled of the 9-4 victory. “It’s kind of just another start in the book now. Even a couple days after that, that was the last start. It doesn’t really [matter anymore]. I haven’t thought about him pulling me mid-at-bat since, really, it happened.”
Daily JV
Justin Verlander (teres major muscle strain) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Showalter said. That will be his first since he got hurt more than two weeks ago.
The ensuing steps would be another bullpen session, then live batting practice, then potentially a minor-league game.
Catching up
Tomas Nido caught Kodai Senga’s start Friday over Francisco Alvarez because of Senga’s recent success and comfort when Nido happened to be behind the plate, according to Showalter. The manager said it didn’t have anything to do with Alvarez’s ability to catch Senga’s splitter and its extreme vertical movement.
Alvarez will start one of the next two games, probably Sunday, Showalter said.
As the rotation turns
Carlos Carrasco will take an 11.42 ERA into his third start of the year Saturday against Oakland.
“I hope he’s got a little better feel for the split. That would help,” Showalter said. “A little better command of his fastball. Those are things he did pretty regularly last year. This guy was a good pitcher for us last year and I think he will be again.”
The other upcoming rotation consideration: The Mets intend to slot in a spot starter Wednesday against the Dodgers to give the others an extra day of rest. Showalter said that might be a bullpen game or a call-up from Triple-A Syracuse.
Extra bases
Mark Canha was out of the lineup Friday so he could get “the benefit of two days” off in a row following the team day off Thursday, Showalter said . . . Tommy Hunter (back spasms) allowed one hit, one walk and one unearned run (on an error by Ronny Mauricio) in a rehab inning with Syracuse . . . Showalter on Darin Ruf going 2-for-4 with an RBI double in his first at-bat in his first game back with the Giants this week: “Good for him. I think everybody is pulling for him here . . . It won’t surprise anybody here at all if he does well. His track record shows that. Sometimes a change of scenery is good for a player.” The Mets cut Ruf at the end of spring training . . . After taking every opportunity to roast the Athletics and their old, shoddy ballpark during the Mets’ visit here in September, Showalter was mostly kinder this time: “It’s a challenge for home and away, but it’s still the big leagues. And it’s still a heck of a way to make a living. But I do wish they could give us a second bathroom for 40 people down on the field.”
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.