The Mets got some bad injury news Sunday when starter Dillon Gee suffered a setback in his comeback bid from a strained lat and speedster Eric Young Jr. was sidelined with a pulled right hamstring that could land him on the disabled list.
“Dillon Gee did not feel comfortable today throwing a pen, never got that far, so we’ll back him off a little bit,’’ general manager Sandy Alderson said. “We want Dillon back in the rotation. It’s nice that we have [Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom] and we’ve been able to go to them, but we’d like to get Dillon back in the rotation. He’s pitched great for us. The sooner we can get him the better.’’
Gee has a 2.73 ERA in eight starts, but he and Alderson both said a return by June 5, the date he is eligible to return from the DL, was improbable.
“I’d say that’s not realistic. … I just don’t see that happening at this point,’’ said Alderson,’’ who also made it sound as if a DL stint for Young Jr. was likely. “We’re bringing Matt den Dekker in from [Triple-A] Las Vegas in the likelihood that we have to DL Eric Young Jr. … We’ll take another look at him [Monday], but we have to get somebody here in case he can’t go.’’
No move for den Dekker had been made yet. Young had felt discomfort in his hamstring for days, but it got worse while stealing second on Saturday.
“Remembering [David Wright’s] situation from last year … we definitely don’t want to go through that process,’’ Young said. “My legs are a big part of my game, so we probably need to be more cautious. We’ll see the doctor in the next couple of days and make a decision from there.’’
Lucas Duda, who grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning of the first game and was out of the lineup in the second, admitted he might be pressing. He has hit .208 since Ike Davis got traded, and stranded 15 men in the three-game Arizona series.
“I think it has [weighed on me] for me the past couple days,’’ said Duda. “I left close to 20 guys on base. That’s tough. My job is to drive in runs. When you don’t do your job you don’t feel so good.’’
Vic Black, brought up as the Mets’ 26th player for the doubleheader, was sent back to Las Vegas. … Travis d’Arnaud (concussion) caught five innings Sunday and went 1-3 with a two-run home run for Double-A Binghamton in a 3-1 win over New Britain in a minor league rehab.
Daniel Murphy’s error with two out in the ninth of the first game — he stretched out to try and catch Wright’s throw to second for a force, but failed to hold on to the ball — let the go-ahead run score.
“I missed it,” Murphy said. “It’s a play I wish I’d made, that I wanted to make.’’