After two electric starts on the road to begin the season, Jacob deGrom will finally get to entertain the home crowd.
The pertinent numbers as the Mets ace prepares to face the Twins on Tuesday at Citi Field: deGrom owns a 26-inning scoreless streak dating to last season, having struck out 24-of-48 batters faced in 2019.
DeGrom had a night to remember in Miami on Wednesday, when he struck out a career-high 14 batters and hit a home run. Now he has the scoreless-innings streak in play along with an opportunity to break Bob Gibson’s record for consecutive quality starts. In his last outing, deGrom tied Gibson’s mark of 26 straight, set in 1967-68.
R.A. Dickey set a Mets record with 32 ²/₃ consecutive scoreless innings during the 2012 season. That record will be within reach for deGrom on Wednesday.
There is a strong possibility Todd Frazier’s return from the injured list will come during the Mets’ visit to Atlanta this week for a four-game series. Team officials are still deciding whether Frazier will receive at-bats with Triple-A Syracuse or if he will complete his rehab by working out with the Mets. With early-season weather in Syracuse a concern, the Mets may select the latter option for Frazier.
The veteran infielder, who is returning from a strained oblique, has been playing for Single-A St. Lucie since Thursday.
Louis Avilan has flopped in his last two relief appearances, allowing three runs in each outing, but manager Mickey Callaway was preaching patience after the veteran lefty and Tim Peterson combined to allow five runs Sunday.
Avilan has allowed seven base runners over 2 ¹/₃ innings and is pitching to a 23.14 ERA.
“It’s such a small sample size, it’s hard to judge anybody on that,” Callaway said. “Coming into tough circumstances, they know they have to throw the ball over the plate.”
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