The offseason was just a couple weeks old when Mason McCoy signed a minor league deal with the Padres last November. The pact included opt-outs in July and August, but the 29-year-old infielder didn’t even considering exercising it
One, he wasn’t have that kind of season.
Two?
“I liked where I was at,” McCoy said. “I think they valued what I brought to the table and the biggest thing for me is I didn’t want to go somewhere and have to restart it.”
He likes where he’s at quite a bit now.
Recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday, McCoy is starting a third straight game at shortstop on Saturday. With the Mets throwing another left-hander on Sunday, McCoy is a good bet to stay in the lineup after reaching base in each of his first three games with the Padres.
That includes singling off the bench for his first big-league hit on Wednesday. McCoy went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks on Thursday and was 1-for-4 on Friday in what’s been a rather involved stay so far.
Especially compared to last year’s MLB debut with the Blue Jays, where he collected just one plate appearance and appeared in six games over a couple weeks as a defensive replacement.
“Sometimes you get called up and then you’re like sitting around for a little bit and you get in here and there,” McCoy said. “It’s been awesome getting to get in there and try to win some games and actually compete out there.”
McCoy isn’t getting ahead of himself, but his usage so far could mean quite the homecoming next week in St. Louis.
He grew up in Washington, Ill., about 2 1/2 hours away from Busch Stadium, and is expecting “way more” than a few dozen friends and family to file in throughout the four-game series. So far, they’ve been enjoying his stay with the Padres — as Ha-Seong Kim’s injury fill-in — from an arm’s length, at least as much as McCoy will allow.
He, too, is “overwhelmed” at the idea of looking to his right at Manny Machado and to his left at Xander Bogaerts while playing shortstop, but he’s got a job to do.
“They’re really excited for me; I just keep trying to tell them that their emotions are right here,” McCoy said with his hand at the top of his head before lowering it to his shoulder, “and I’m trying to stay right here. I said to them the other day it’s abut winning. It’s not about what I’m feeling. I said I know you guys are on top of the world right now, but let’s bring it down and then after the season we can talk about all the things that have happened.”
Michael King on the mound. pic.twitter.com/H6p5v558iZ
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 24, 2024
McCoy will hit ninth in a lineup with a few adjustments to face the left-handed David Peterson. That includes a day off for Jake Cronenworth as Luis Arraez starts at first base, Donovan Solano at DH and switch hitter Bryce Johnson in right field.
With the Diamondbacks already winning on Saturday, the Padres are a full game behind Arizona in the race for the NL’s top wild-card spot.
Here is how the Mets will line up for Game 3:
Saturday night in SD. #LGM pic.twitter.com/h3OVpl7z5r
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 24, 2024
Notable
- RHP Yu Darvish will face live hitters on Sunday in a “couple up-and-downs,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. The team will evaluate him then before determining the next step in his return from the restricted list. Darvish is on the 15-day injured list, but his original ailments are behind him. The current progression is about ramping up toward a return to the rotation.
- LHP Wandy Peralta (groin) struck out a batter in a scoreless inning in a rehab assignment on Friday at low Single-A Lake Elsinore. He’ll make another rehab appearance at a to-be-determined affiliate before potentially rejoining the Padres.
- The team is determining whether OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (quad) will travel to St. Louis for at least the start of the upcoming road trip, stay back in San Diego or return to Arizona to face pitching.
- Kim (shoulder) has taken grounders but has yet to resuming swinging or throwing.
Saturday’s pitching matchup
Mets LHP David Peterson (7-1, 3.00 ERA)
He has allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of his 14 starts and has a 1.85 ERA through his first four starts in August. Peterson allowed five runs in 11 innings across two starts against the Padres last year, striking out 13 against four walks.
Here is how Peterson has fared against current Padres:
Padres RHP Michael King (11-6, 3.18 ERA)
He has five quality starts in his last six trips to the mound (2.23 ERA), holding hitters to a .479 OPS over that stretch. King faced the Mets twice in 2023 out of the bullpen, striking out one over 1⅓ scoreless innings.
Here is how King has fared against current Mets:
