Shaun Marcum’s 3 1/2 -week hiatus from the Mets hasn’t dampened his expectations much.
The veteran right-hander arrived at spring training aiming to make all of his scheduled starts and pitch 200 innings in 2013. He is scheduled to make his Mets debut on Saturday, after a stiff neck incurred toward the end of camp put him on the disabled list, with his goals only slightly modified.
“Obviously that goal is not going to happen as far as making all my starts,” Marcum said before the Mets beat the Dodgers 7-3 in 10 innings Wednesday night at Citi Field. “But with the snow-outs and stuff I still can come close to 30 starts, so hopefully I can come close to 200 innings and do what I can to go deep into those games.”
Marcum will be on a 90-95 pitch count against the Phillies on Saturday. He made two extended spring-training appearances in Port St. Lucie, but said it was hard to gauge his success.
“It’s difficult to say, because those guys swing at everything,” Marcum said. “If the Phillies do that and I’m locating, I’ll be OK.”
* Jon Niese said he’s “100 percent” confident he will take his next turn in the rotation, on Sunday against the Phillies.
The left-hander departed in the third inning on Tuesday after a Mark Ellis one-hop comebacker left a bruise between his right ankle and Achilles.
Niese said he still had swelling yesterday and likely will move his side session from today to tomorrow, at which time he will test the ankle.
* Juan Lagares made his first major league start, getting the call in center field. The rookie went 0-for-2 and left three runners on base before Jordany Valdespin batted for him in the eighth inning.
* Valdespin joined Tim Harkness, Jim Hickman, Mike Jorgensen, Tim Teufel and Kevin McReynolds as the only Mets players with a game-winning grand slam.
Teufel, the Mets’ third base coach, hit an 11th-inning grand slam to beat the Phillies on June 10, 1986. That was the Mets’ last previous walk-off grand slam in extra innings.