New York Mets

Mets could start Bartolo Colon on short rest on Friday

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Mets currently have Colon scheduled to start on Saturday

Bartolo Colon could start on three-days rest on Friday, Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday.

The impetus behind the move would be to have Colon available on regular rest for the potential Wild Card game on Wednesday in the event Noah Syndergaard starts Sunday.

Here’s the gist right now:

The Mets are tied in the loss column (a half game up) on the Giants for the first Wild Card spot and are 1.5 games up (one loss) on the Cardinals.

If they clinch a Wild Card spot before Sunday, Syndergaard will not have a regular workload that day. Instead, he would throw 25 or so pitches to tune up for the Wild Card game.

If they clinch a Wild Card spot before Saturday (without using Colon on short rest Friday), his start could be skipped on shortened Saturday to prepare for Game 1 of the NLDS should the Mets make it.

Colon is also dealing with a tendon injury in his right foot, so extra rest for him would be ideal.

There are four games left in the regular season for the Mets: one in Miami on Wednesday, followed by three against the Phillies in Philadelphia from Friday through Sunday.

A tiebreaker game, if necessary, would take place Monday.

Limiting Syndergaard if the Mets clinch before Sunday makes total sense, as does starting Colon on short rest Friday as a hedge.

In a perfect scenario, the Mets will win Wednesday and the Cardinals will lose their next two games. If that happens, they would have a three-game lead over St. Louis with three games to go and some leeway.

However, if that doesn’t happen, starting Colon on Friday and having him for the Wild Card game if needed is the way to go.

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