The Mets will try to keep focused on baseball, but they also realize they are involved in something larger this weekend.
With the Astros returning to Houston — some of which still is flooded after Hurricane Harvey and subsequent heavy rain — players will try to keep the games at Minute Maid Park in perspective.
“It’s been terrible what has gone on,” said Matt Harvey, who is scheduled to pitch Game 1 of a split doubleheader Saturday for the Mets. “We’re just going to concentrate on what we can do to help and then get our heads in a baseball game. I’m sure Houston is trying to do that as well. We’re happy to help anyway we can.”
A team official called it an “unfortunate coincidence” that Harvey will pitch the first game in Houston because the hurricane bearing the same name hit the city. But the Mets never gave serious consideration to realigning their rotation to avoid pitching Harvey in the series.
Mets players planned to participate in relief efforts Friday, but did not divulge any specifics, saying they wanted to avoid the publicity.
Jamie Callahan and Jacob Rhame, two of the minor league relievers acquired by the Mets in trades over the last month, will join the team in Houston in the first wave of September call-ups.
Callahan arrived in the deal that sent Addison Reed to the Red Sox before the non-waiver trade deadline. Rhame was the player to be named later in the trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the Dodgers.
Noah Syndergaard is scheduled to pitch one inning Saturday for the Gulf Coast Mets in his first rehab appearance. The right-hander has been on the disabled list since May 1 with a torn lat in his right side.
Minor league pitcher Jose Sierra of the GCL Mets has been suspended 56 games. The 21-year-old lefty tested positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
— With AP