New York Mets Series Preview vs. Washington Nationals April 6th-9th

Ripe For An Upset?

Mar 7, 2015; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) throws the ball to first in between the first and second inning during a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

This spring, the Mets have suffered a number of injuries. Zack Wheeler and Josh Edgin were both lost for the season to Tommy John surgery, while Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores both had injury scares as well. Murphy and Flores will be able to play for the Mets Opening Day, but the Nationals will not be as lucky, as they will be without many of their key players against the Mets.

The Nationals will be without three starting position players against the Mets. Outfielder Jayson Werth is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery on his A/C joint. He shouldn’t miss much time, but will not be available against the Mets. Fellow outfielder Denard Span will also be out, as he recovers from offseason sports hernia surgery and abdominal surgery on March 9th.

Even backup outfielder Nate McLouth will not be available, which means the Mets could see a lot of someone they are very familiar with; Matt den Dekker. den Dekker was who the Mets sent to the Nationals in exchange for Jerry Blevins.

The third starter the Nationals will be without is third baseman Anthony Rendon. Rendon suffered a strained MCL on March 9th and had three specialists take a look at it before figuring out what was wrong. He remains without a timetable to return, which means the Nationals will be relying on underwhelming options for a little while to start the season.

One of those players is Dan Uggla, who has been a mitigated disaster the last couple of seasons, should start at second base while Rendon is sidelined, with Yunel Escobar sliding over to take over at third base.

The Nationals lineup is a lot weaker looking against the Mets than it projected to be. That means the Mets have a chance to pick up some important wins against a team that figures to finish ahead of them in the NL East standings. These games are as important as the ones at the end of the season, so picking up some victories when the Nationals are not at full strength would be great for the Mets.

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