Clubhouse Incident is Latest in Long Line of Dysfunction for Mets
The Mets bullpen is embarrassing. The lauded offseason moves by first-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen haven't paid off. Team meetings and summits are far too common in one season for a team with lofty, self-proclaimed goals in 2019. All of that, however, pales in comparison to the dysfunction displayed in the Mets' clubhouse late Sunday afternoon.
The Mets were in search of a third straight victory and a series win over the Cubs when Jacob deGrom left the game with a 3-2 lead after pitching six innings. Mickey Callaway called on Seth Lugo and stuck with him into the eighth inning when Javy Baez hit a three-run home run off the Mets reliever. The Mets went scoreless in the top of the ninth and lost 5-3. A first half of a season's worth of frustration spilled into the postgame clubhouse for New York after another blown opportunity by the bullpen.
According to the New York Post's Mike Puma, Callaway tried to have a beat reporter thrown out of the locker room for what the manager determined to be an antagonist attitude. That reporter is Tim Healey of Newsday and after he didn't leave the clubhouse, Jason Vargas threatened Healey before he had to be held back by teammates Carlos Gomez and Noah Syndergaard. Here is Puma's full report:
From Chicago, the Mets go to Philadelphia to play a reeling Phillies team which has lost seven games in a row. New York is 37-41 and nine games out of first place in the National League East.