What Is Wrong With The Mets Training Staff?

What is wrong with the Mets training staff, and Terry Collins, for that matter?

Have you ever seen a team with so many injuries that seem to come from lack of conditioning and pushing limits? This year it seems like every week, news breaks that someone on the team is ailing from a strained quad, hamstring or some other muscle.

In the post-PED era, we can expect this at times, but doesn’t it seem like the Mets deal with these nagging injuries more than any other team? These guys get hurt, the Mets tell everyone that they will be back after a short DL stint, and they seemingly never come back. Regardless of the injury, either players are being misdiagnosed or mistreated.

Twice now, Travis d’Arnaud has seen his DL stint exceed the prognosis given to fans and the media. Why did it take David Wright to the point of not being able to move, to finally diagnose his issue, which he has clearly suffered from for some time? Over the past several years, we’ve seen misdiagnosing leading to Met after Met extending his stay on the DL.

In 2006, it cost them a chance at the World Series with injuries to Pedro Martinez and El Duque. In 2009, Mets players like Beltran, Reyes and Delgado were going down in droves. Over the past decade, there is one glaring common denominator, Ray Ramirez, head athletic trainer of the New York Mets.

Ramirez, in his tenth year with the Mets, should be replaced immediately. There have been too many suspicious injuries that may have been avoided if diagnosed early and treated correctly. The latest victim is Steven Matz, who was diagnosed with a partially torn lat muscle on Thursday. How is it that the training staff approved Matz’s start in LA when he was already feeling discomfort in his side? Where is the foresight of these trainers?

Three weeks? Why can’t the Mets be realistic? This injury screams “2 months,” at least, when you factor in rehabbing. Chances are, Matz very well may be shut down for the year. The Mets say that they want to be cautious with these young pitchers, but their actions say otherwise.

Terry Collins should follow the training staff right out the door. If Collins’ managerial decisions haven’t helped fuel these injuries, than his ignorance surely has. Why in his first two starts was Matz pushed over 100 pitches when his pitch count had been limited to no more than 85 the past month and a half in the minors? In both of those games, the Mets had rare big leads as well. This isn’t the first time he’s done something like this either.

Last year on a cold day at the start of April, in his first start of the year, Zach Wheeler threw 115 pitches. Matt Harvey threw 121 pitches in 5 innings in a 2013 start against the Marlins. Are you seeing a pattern? Someone needs to be held accountable. Injuries happen, we all know that; and sometimes happen in spite of great conditioning and caution. However, these injuries seem like they might be the result of the lack of those things. It’s time the Mets start to reexamine the way they handle their players’ injuries or at least their communication of them. Or perhaps it’s just another day in the life of a Mets fan.