Mets face familiar foe in Dillon Gee in first game against Texas Rangers
The Mets are in Arlington, Texas for a quick two-game series against the Rangers, and they’ll get started by facing a former Met.
Tuesday night’s matchup will pin the New York Mets against their former starting pitcher Dillon Gee. The Rangers’ righty will be making his first start of the season for Texas after A.J. Griffin went down with his own injury.
Gee has appeared in two games for Texas since being called up — both in relief —from Triple-A Round Rock. He’s pitched 6 2/3 innings and has yet to allow an earned run (though four unearned runs have scored under his watch). This season in Triple-A, Gee posted a 3.88 ERA in nine starts.
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Since leaving the Mets after their National League pennant-winning season in 2015, Gee pitched in Kansas City for the Royals in 2016, and has now made his way to the big league club after spending the first part of the season in the Rangers’ minors.
Gee spent six years with the Amazin’s, and was never really able to make himself a mainstay in the starting rotation. His best season in New York was in 2013 when he went 12-11 with a 3.62 ERA. After that, however, Gee struggled ending his 2015 season with a 5.90 ERA.
Making his first start against his first team would be a big deal to most, but apparently not to Gee.
“It’s just a coincidence,” Gee told reporters about his Tuesday night’s start. “I just look at it as any other start. I just have to go out there and give the team a chance to win.”
Gee is also quite familiar with his opposite on the mound: Jacob deGrom. He’s known to be good friends with deGrom, but once the game starts, the focus will be on the hitters more than deGrom.
“I’m trying to not put so much emphasis on who it’s against,” Gee said. “It’s just another start that I have to prepare for.”
Next: Analyzing the improbable: Matt Harvey as Mets closer
First pitch in Arlington, Texas is scheduled for 8:05 pm ET on Tuesday night and Wednesday night before Thursday’s second off-day of the week.