Mets 2017 Season Preview: Will the Mets stay healthy? First player on the DL?

Nick Cersao, Staff Writer

Throughout this season, the Mets health will be the biggest concern for the team and their fans. It is obvious the Mets last season struggled to stay on the field

Only Curtis Granderson and Asdrubal Cabrera played in over a 140 games for the Mets. However, Cabrera even spent time on the disabled list.

Noah Syndergaard is the only starter currently on the roster who made 25 starts and threw at least 150 innings in 2016.  The starting pitchers struggled to stay healthy from all the innings and work they put into the 2015 season.  The Mets made the playoffs and went to the World Series that year, however, the backlash was that the starters had no real rest in that offseason.

More from Rising Apple

• NY Mets Rumors: 1 big threat to steal 2 Flushing free agents
• NY Mets need to call the Athletics about a Matt Chapman trade
• NY Mets dream starting lineup for the 2022 season
• NY Mets offseason makeover might be a simple “She’s All That” situation
• NY Mets: 8 Ex-Amazins who killed it with other teams in 2021

The Mets will stay healthy because the starting pitchers are well rested after all the injuries.  Jacob deGrom‘s 2016 average fastball velocity was just 93-94 mph, compared to in 2015 when he averaged 95 mph.  In deGrom’s first appearance this spring, his fastball reached 97 mph multiple times proving he is healthy and ready for a large workload this year.

The offense will be healthy as Jay Bruce played in 147 games total last year.  Neil Walker and Yoenis Cespedes both spent time on the disabled list last year.  However, they both played in over 150 games the year prior so injuries are not a consistency for either player.

One player that lands on the DL first, other than David Wright, who is expected to not be ready for Opening Day due to right shoulder impingement, would have to be catcher Travis d’Arnaud.

He has missed time every year because of a significant injury.  Now entering his fifth season with the Mets, d’Arnaud has only had one season in which he played 100 games.

In each of the last two seasons, d’Arnaud gets hurt that results in him going on the DL before the end of April.  Plus, he does play catcher, a position not known for durability.

Although this could be a very important year in determining d’Arnaud’s future with the team, that does not change the fact that there is a high possibility he will miss time at some point during the 2017 season.