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NEW YORK – The Mets will take a first look at one of their lesser-announced acquisitions for the trade deadline on Thursday, as right-hander Trevor Williams prepares to start his series final against the Nationals. Manager Luis Rojas called Williams “an option” to start this game, and a team official later clarified that the plan was for Williams to take the ball.
Williams, who came to the Mets alongside Javier Báez in the July 30 trade that sent prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Cubs, produced a 2.25 ERA in his first two starts with the Triple -A Syracuse. According to a person familiar with the talks, the Mets had a choice between Williams and Zach Davies in their deal with the Cubs; they chose Williams in large part because he had an accessible Minor League option, which the team then immediately used to send him to Syracuse.
Now, with a double schedule Wednesday creating a hole in their rotation, the Mets will recall Williams for at least one start.
Williams appeared in 13 games for the Cubs earlier this year, producing a 5.06 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings. It’s a relatively smooth pitcher that relies on five distinct throws, including a fastball, sinker, slider, shift, and curve.
Lindor progresses
Shortstop Francisco Lindor took another step forward in his rehabilitation of a strained rectus oblique muscle, batting on the field Wednesday afternoon for the first time since his injury. When asked if he still felt any discomfort in his oblique, the shortstop replied that he “feels good”.
“I’m just moving on,” Lindor said. “I follow the instructions. Whatever the coaches tell me, I will follow the instructions.
The Mets’ original schedule for Lindor had him back before the end of August. As long as he continues to progress, with speed-of-play defensive work and rehab matches on the horizon, Lindor should still be able to achieve that goal.
As for Lindor’s shortstop replacement, Báez is expected to be available to play at some point on Wednesday. He hasn’t taken the field since tweaking something in his hip and lower back area in Sunday’s loss to the Phillies.
Stretch Armstrong
Despite Carlos Carrasco’s abbreviated exit in Tuesday’s game, which was suspended due to rain, the veteran right-hander was able to span around 80 pitches in an indoor enclosure before calling it a night. That should put Carrasco on a full workload for the first time when he returns to the mound on Sunday against the Dodgers.
“I didn’t take anything away. I went as hard as I could, ”said Carrasco, who missed the first four weeks of this season with hamstring strain. “I’m just getting ready for the next start.”
Carrasco will be looking to improve his 5.78 ERA, which is largely the product of the three-run homer Juan Soto hit in the first inning of Tuesday’s suspended game.
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