The Mets’ four-game series against the Atlanta Braves, while early in the season, is supposed to give the team insight on how they stack up against the defending World Series champions.
Unfortunately for the Amazin’s, they didn’t have manager Buck Showalter for the first game — a 5-2 loss — after he was suspended by Major League Baseball. This decision came late and was a surprise to the coaching staff.
“It was pretty late,” acting manager Glenn Sherlock said when asked when they found out. “It was pretty much right before the game, maybe 40, 45 minutes before the game. I was just about ready to get [James] McCann loose.”
Sherlock added, “It’s not our decision, we just have to deal with it. Just move forward.”
MLB suspended Showalter one game and reliever Yoan Lopez three games after they deemed the right-hander intentionally threw at Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber on Sunday night. Both were also fined an undisclosed amount.
This wasn’t the first time Showalter wasn’t able to manage the Mets. Back in April, the 65-year-old missed a game against the San Francisco Giants to undergo a medical procedure.
“We talked a lot about things pregame. We go over the scenarios on who’s available and possibilities, but we talked a lot throughout the game,” Sherlock said. “The coaches all collaborated out there.”
Sherlock was not in the dugout when Showalter missed that game in mid-April due to being placed on the team’s COVID list and the team is 0-2 in games Showalter has missed.
As for Showalter’s reaction to the news of his suspension.
“That’s something you gotta talk to Buck about,” Sherlock said. “It is what it is, that’s baseball. We were surprised, I gotta tell you that.”
Showalter will certainly give his side of the story prior to the first game of the doubleheader, which is set to start at 3:10 p.m. Tuesday.