Mets' J.D. Martinez sits vs. Nationals with sore ankle because of new cleats
The Mets' J.D. Martinez reacts after getting hit by a pitch during the first inning of the team's game against the Yankees on June 26. Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
WASHINGTON — J.D. Martinez did not play in the Mets’ 7-2, 10-inning win over the Nationals on Tuesday because he had a sore left ankle.
He had a sore left ankle because he tried new cleats, which didn’t fit quite right, the day before.
And he tried new cleats because his usual shoe shipment is delayed, so he tried something else off Amazon.
No, really, he said.
“I’m not [joking],” Martinez said. “I’m patiently waiting for my cleats, adidas.”
When are his regular cleats supposed to arrive?
“That’s a great question,” he said. “We should ask them. I don’t know. They’re back-ordered, apparently. Being made. So we’re patiently waiting.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Martinez would miss “hopefully just a day or two.” Martinez said he modified the temporary cleat in such a way that it might be usable in the interim.
Playing Tuesday was not an option, though, after his ankle felt wonky when he woke up and got worse once he got in the batting cage. That was when he felt what he described as “a sharp pain.”
“Then I tried swinging again and I was like, this ain’t happening,” Martinez said.
So fine-tuned is Martinez’s routine, he breaks out a new pair of the same model of cleats every three or four games. He takes so many swings that as soon as they wear down just a tad, he starts to slip in the batter’s box, so he has to swap them out.
Except he ran out and now awaits more.
“We had to go buy it online and send them over,” he said.
Scott unlimited
When Christian Scott returns to the Mets’ rotation Wednesday, he’ll do so with no qualms over his burgeoning workload, he said.
With three months to go, Scott has thrown 70 innings in the majors and minors. His career-high total is 87 2/3 from last year.
The Mets have said in the past and Mendoza reiterated this week that they don’t have a hard innings limit in mind. Instead, they’ll defer to various biomechanical markers that should flag issues regarding strength and fatigue.
“I completely trust them and their process,” Scott said. “They’ve really shaped my career and put me in the best position to have success. I’d really do myself a disservice to not trust them. So I completely trust them with workload, pitches, pitch types — really, anything. They have my full confidence for sure.”
Mendoza said: “We trust our performance staff and things like that. We’re always measuring these guys and making sure they’re bouncing back and how they’re responding after each outing.”
Sproat on the rise
Righthander Brandon Sproat will represent the Mets in the Futures Game, the annual minor-league showcase during All-Star festivities.
Drafted by the Mets in the second round last July, Sproat has shot up the farm system and prospect rankings, already reaching Double-A. He has a 1.94 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in seven starts with Binghamton.
“Electric stuff,” Mendoza said. “Fastball plays, the breaking ball, the sweeper, the way he competes — we’re watching him. [Pitching coach Jeremy] Hefner, myself, watching videos. This is a name that has been out there now. He’s going to represent us in the Futures Game. Congrats to him, we’re proud of him. We like where he’s at development-wise. The guys in the minor leagues are doing a good job with him.”
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.