Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Is it all about the Mets this Week?

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Mar 5, 2017; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey (left) talks with Mets catcher Rene Rivera (right) on the pitchers mound during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at First Data Field. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

So has the entire baseball universe halted for the World Baseball Classic? Not hardly. In fact, there’s something about to happen to a Braves’ rival that will likely upstage some other important events later this week.

The Atlanta Braves got a needed day off yesterday as they prepare to face the Pirates, Phillies, Yankees, Mets, and Cardinals through Saturday.

However, it’s Friday’s game against the Mets that may be the most interesting… at least from the Mets perspective.

Already Hanging by a Bandaid?

The Mets are losing the maximum 14 players from their organization for the WBC, including 11 from what is a relatively small 55-player major league spring group.

The New York Post explains:

"The Mets are losing the maximum 14 players from their organization for the WBC, including 11 from what is a relatively small 55-player major league spring group."

That’s a big chunk. Add to that the fact that they have two split-squad games this week – Wednesday and Friday.

So this has set up two high-profile events for them… one of vital importance; the other… frankly is a side show:

Zack Wheeler will start Friday’s game, possibly vs. Houston. Whether that’s at home or against the Braves at Disney is unclear (conflicting sources).
Tim Tebow will play both Wednesday and Friday – at Port St. Lucie.

I’ll let y’all figure out which one of these really concerns the Mets the most.

The Braves’ NL East rivals already have no idea when – or whether – David Wright will be ‘right’ again, and there have been some early concerns about Matt Harvey is his attempt to return from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery after his first Spring start.

For this team to have at least some better breathing room for pitching depth, Wheeler need to show them that he’s back to full strength… a tall order given that he had barely been established in the majors over 2013-14 before blowing out his elbow 2 years ago this month.

Meanwhile, Harvey was throwing fastballs described as “ordinary” on Sunday, and there was a lot of “first outing” and “obviously too soon” disclaimers being thrown about to try and explain away his 92 mph velocity.

That’s likely the case, though with the Mets, it seems that every little thing is a crisis.

Maybe it’s no wonder that Wheeler himself is saying things like “I kind of feel like I’m waiting for a setback”.

For players and fans alike, that thought is just part of the Mets’ culture now.

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But maybe all of that will slip under the radar for a couple of days while Tim Tebow emerges from minor league camp to bolster their rosters for the split squad days.

Side show that it may be, the Mets (almost) truly need him this week. Whoever scheduled two split contests during the first round WBC play is an idiot, but it has hit the Metropolitans particularly hard as they need 50 players each day.

This at least gives them cover to throw Tebow into the mix for a couple of days – so why not? Of course, protocol suggests that they should have put him on the bus for the road games.

But that was never gonna happen, right?

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