Marcus Stroman leaves Mets game with hamstring tightness

After pitching four good innings in which he gave up just one run against Cleveland tonight, Marcus Stroman left the game with left hamstring tightness, as the team announced. It goes without saying that any significant hamstring injury to Stroman would seriously test the Mets’ thin starting pitching depth—with Walker Lockett the most likely pitcher to replace him in the team’s rotation.

In 144.1 innings in total this season, Stroman has a 3.18 ERA and 3.70 FIP, making him one of the better pitchers in all of baseball. He’s been able to navigate the 2019 baseball and limit home runs, an asset given the context of the game this year.

The Mets dealt pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson to the Blue Jays to acquire Stroman shortly before the trade deadline this year. He’s under team control through the 2020 season, though the Mets would clearly benefit from getting as many starts as possible from him in 2019 as they attempt to pull off a miraculous postseason berth.