The Mets’ bats woke up and scored a 10-4 win over the Miami Marlins to open up the second series of the 2025 MLB season. But Monday night’s game wasn’t the only thing on Carlos Mendoza‘s mind as New York’s manager spoke about the big topic around baseball and gave some updates on a pair of pitchers working their way back from injury.
Torpedo bats no surprise
It is the hottest topic around the league right now, but the manager said the torpedo bats are “nothing new for us.”
“This is something that every team, every player continues to look for: an edge,” the manager said before Monday’s win. “And [to] find ways to improve in the margin,s and this is a perfect example.
“But this has been going on for years where guys are going to these hitting labs and getting bats custom to what they’re like. Whether it’s a thicker handle, bigger barrel.”
Mendoza called it “just a funny-looking bat” that just happened to go viral in the season’s first weekend and wasn’t a big deal when it became a big talking point.
He noted that Francisco Lindor used a torpedo bat in the first series against Houston – images from Friday’s game show a bat that appears torpedoe-like – and the manager believes the shortstop got his model bat toward the end of spring training. (Of course, Lindor’s bat blended in with the crowd more than Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s, which could explain the hubub around the Yankees second baseman’s lumber.)
“I’m pretty sure guys will at least continue to test it,” Mendoza said of the new bats, “because this is not something [you can] grab it and go try it in the game. You gotta get a feel for it and see what it’s like. But we’ll see how it goes.”
Of course, when asked what kind of advantage the torpedo bat could present, Mendoza said he wasn’t sure if the benefits of the bat “apply to everyone.”
Speaking of Lindor…
Shortstop back with club
Mendoza “knew right away” that Lindor wanted to be with the club after the birth of his third child, Koa, after hearing everyone was “doing well.”
“Perfect timing, on an off-day,” the manager said with a laugh about Lindor’s son’s Sunday afternoon birth.
Lindor, who is loath to take a day off during the season, was in the dugout during the first inning of Monday’s game. And his wanting to be back as soon as possible was nothing new to the manager.
“This is a guy that wants to show and wants to perform and help the team,” he said. “Even when his wife is having a new baby, he’s still thinking about the team.
“That’s who he is. He’s a leader, special person, special guy, special player.”
The shorstop, who was available during the game but not needed in the rout, told The New York Post’s Mike Puma that his wife, Katia, “said it was OK to leave, and I left.”
Huascar Brazobán continues to impress
The right-hander extended his scoreless innings run to start the season to 4.1 innings with his second appearance of the campaign on Monday.
“Attacking. We know the stuff is real,” Mendoza said. “It’s a power sinker, the changeup is a pretty good pitch because he can throw it not only to lefties but right on right.”
He threw eight changeups on Monday and got three whiffs on four swings. The sinker was better, as he got two whiffs on five swings plus two called strikes on seven deliveries.
“His ability to give us multiple innings to save the bullpen when we need to, you can pitch him when you’re down, you’re up. And he did that today again,” the manager added.
Brazobán allowed a hit plus a hit batter in two innings of work against the Marlins, collecting two strikeouts on 28 pitches (19 strikes).
Paul Blackburn and Dedniel Núñez progressing
Núñez threw an inning plus one batter as he works to get properly built up to go in potential four- or five-out situations after he was optioned to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse, Mendoza said before the game Monday.
The Mets felt it was important the right-hander get a “second up” even though it was just the one batter, and he will now have three days off before pitching again Thursday.
“The plan for him is to go two ups again on Thursday, and then he’ll get two days off after that,” Mendoza said. “So far, everything is trending in the right direction.”
Before Monday’s game, Blackburn threw in the outfield, the first time he has done so since receiving an injection in his right knee to deal with inflammation.
“He continues to say he feels better,” Mendoza said.
The right-hander was targeting Monday as the first day for him to throw, and he is expected to be ready to return from the IL in April.
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