Steven Matz Makes Another Rehab Start With St. Lucie

Image from MiLB

The Mets talented young lefty made his second rehab start with the St. Lucie Mets Thursday evening.

            Steven Matz finished his rehab stint with St. Lucie Thursday night in Palm Beach, and is now scheduled to head to Binghamton for a start during the B-Mets double-header on Tuesday. It was the second rehab start for Steven Matz with the St. Lucie Mets – he also threw 23 pitches over 1 inning last Saturday – and he’s likely due to get 2 more starts in the minors before coming back to the Mets for a start on 9/5 (assuming everything goes well).

            Matz threw 41 pitches (25 strikes) over 2.2 IP, allowing a run on 4 hits and a walk, with 1 strikeout on a curveball. Play-by-play announcer Adam MacDonald didn’t call many fastball velocities after the 1^st inning, but Matz topped out at 94 MPH in that 1^st, and he mixed in more curveballs than changeups throughout the start – see below for the pitch-by-pitch information I could gather. Adam Mac said that Matz was starting to stomp around the mound looking upset near the end of the appearance, which is unusual for Matz, who is normally Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected on the mound. He did not finish his night on a good night, walking the final batter he’d face before closing in on his 43-pitch limit.

            He’ll likely start in the first game of the B-Mets double-header Tuesday (rehabbers usually get priority), and have a 64-66 pitch count limit (he told Adam Mac that they want to increase his pitch limit by 23 with each start, although who knows why that number).

Matz Coverage

Matz – 2.2 IP, 4 H, R, BB, SO, 41 Pitches (25 Strikes – 2 Swinging), 5 GO: 1 FO

Table 1 – Pitch stats by inning

	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
Total	21	6	14	41
Strikes	15	4	6	25
Swinging*	2	0	0	2

*4.9% Swinging strike rate

Calls from the St. Lucie radio

1^st inning

1)   C.J. McElroy doubled down the RF line (D9/G)

                                  i.         89 MPH Fastball – ball 1-0, outside

                                ii.         92 MPH Fastball – called strike 1-1

                               iii.         Fastball* – in play

2)   Breyvic Valera hit a groundout to Smith that advanced McElroy to 3B (31/G)

                                  i.         92 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

                                ii.         Changeup – called strike 0-2

                               iii.         Fastball* – in play (“excuse me check swing”)

3)   Mason Katz struck out swinging (K/Sw)

                                  i.         75 MPH Curveball – called strike 0-1

                                ii.         Fastball* – ball 1-1, inside

                               iii.         93 MPH Fastball – foul 1-2

                               iv.         Curveball – swinging strike 3

4)   Collin Radack hit an RBI single to LF – the ball bounced in and out of Sabol’s glove (S7/F)

                                  i.         90 MPH Fastball – foul 0-1

                                ii.         Fastball* – ball 1-1, inside

                               iii.         Changeup – swinging strike 1-2

                               iv.         90 MPH Fastball – foul 1-2

                                v.         – ball 2-2, inside

                               vi.         Fastball – foul 2-2

                             vii.         Curveball, in play

5)   Luke Voit hit a grounder to Rosario for a force out at 2B (64/G)

                                  i.         93 MPH Fastball – foul 0-1

                                ii.         Curveball – ball 1-1, inside

                               iii.         89 MPH Fastball – ball 2-1, inside

                               iv.         In play

*One of the fastballs not called was at 94 MPH

2^nd inning

1)   Danny Diekroeger reached on a single deflected by Rosario (S6-8/G)

                                  i.         In play

2)   Blake Drake hit a grounder to McNeil that started a double play (463/G)

                                  i.         – ball 1-0, outside

                                ii.         In play

3)   Jose Gonzalez hit a groundout to Rosario (63/G)

                                  i.         Curveball – called strike 0-1

                                ii.         Fastball – ball 1-1, low

                               iii.         In play

3^rd inning

1)   Robelys Reyes hit a high chopper to Urena for a groundout (53/G)

                                  i.         91 MPH Fastball – called strike 0-1

                                ii.         In play

2)   McElroy hit a seeing eye single into RF (S9/G)

                                  i.         – ball 1-0

                                ii.         Fastball – called strike 1-1

                               iii.         In play

3)   Valera popped out to Ruiz in shallow right center field (8/F)

                                  i.         – ball 1-0, low

                                ii.         – called strike 1-1

                               iii.         – ball 2-1, low and inside (nearly hit him on the foot)

                               iv.         Curveball – ball 3-1, bounced
*McElroy advanced to 2B on a wild pitch

                                v.         In play

4)   Katz walked (BB)

                                  i.         Curveball – ball 1-0, inside

                                ii.         – ball 2-0, low

                               iii.         – ball 3-0, inside

                               iv.         Fastball – ball 4, low and inside

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