Perhaps it was reader @eddiebellz who put it best this week, replying to a call for Mets Inbox queries with this: "I have so many questions but I literally don't know how to specify just one."
It was that sort of week for the Mets, who dropped four straight to the Phillies and Nationals, lost a significant chunk of the roster to injuries and were left reeling, just in time for another 13 straight divisional games following Monday's off-day.
With all of that as a backdrop, some of you did manage to put your questions into words:
When will the Mets hit the Rosario button?
-- @mytoemytoe via Twitter
Easily the most popular question on Twitter this week was when the Mets will recall shortstop Amed Rosario, their top-ranked prospect, or first baseman Dominic Smith. It makes sense; with Jose Reyes mired in one of the worst slumps of his career and Lucas Duda injured, the Mets have in-house replacements at two needed positions. Both prospects are thriving at Triple-A Las Vegas. Rosario in particular is batting .403.
All of that makes it easy to forget that the 21-year-old Rosario has played just 73 career games -- not even half a season -- above Class A ball. Smith has a full season at Double-A Binghamton, but barely two weeks at Vegas. When asked about the situation last week, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said: "We're very happy with the way they've started. I don't think it accelerates any timetable. But I think it's starting to confirm what we've all believed, is that they're top-level prospects. They've got a good future with the Mets."
Translation: Not quite yet. And while I don't completely buy Alderson's assertion that a hot start won't accelerate the timetables for Smith and Rosario -- remember, Michael Conforto hit his way to the Majors ahead of schedule two years ago, in part due to injuries -- I do believe their promotions aren't currently on the radar. If both players are still hitting well come midsummer, the team may have to revisit that.
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What is happening with Wilmer Flores? Is he still in the hospital?
-- @waltermartincei via Twitter
The plan was for Flores, who is nursing an infection in his left knee, to remain hospitalized at least through the weekend. It's a scary situation and not something the Mets are going to rush. The team should have an update on his status Tuesday.
Do you think the Mets leave Conforto in every day over Curtis Granderson when/if everyone is healthy?
-- @Drunkman0o0Geib via Twitter
The answer to questions like these is that playing-time situations almost always work themselves out naturally. As recently as the Mets' last road trip, fans clamored for Conforto to get in the lineup, which he did twice in seven games. Due to Yoenis Cespedes' hamstring injury, Conforto has now started five consecutive games, hitting .368 with two home runs over that stretch.
Is that enough to make Conforto the starter over Granderson, who is batting just .149 in April? Not necessarily. But Granderson's slump, combined with the Mets' caution regarding Cespedes, should be enough to keep his bat in the lineup on a regular basis.
Did anyone ask Terry Collins about moving Noah Syndergaard up to start Tuesday so he doesn't miss the next Nationals series again? Makes sense to do with the off-day.
-- @davegawkowski via Twitter
Though the Mets have a history of shifting their rotation to stack top starters against the Nationals, Syndergaard's situation is a little different right now. No doubt, he is the horse of this rotation. But he is also coming off a 114-pitch outing, his longest of this season and tied for fourth longest of his career. Syndergaard is also one start removed from a fingernail issue and three starts removed from blister trouble. He may be Thor, but he's also human; it's probably in the Mets' best interests to get him a little rest as well.
If Reyes continues to struggle, what are the options at third base? Flores can't hit righties so he's not an everyday option. What will they do?
-- @Grossed_Out via Twitter
In-house, the Mets don't have many options. Despite Flores' struggles against right-handed pitching, he would be the first choice if he were healthy. Next up is T.J. Rivera, who could get some run at the position now that Ty Kelly is gone from the organization. At Las Vegas, third baseman Phillip Evans has posted merely a .700 OPS after opening some eyes during Spring Training.
The Mets could sign a free agent such as Kelly Johnson, but he would need time to get ready. They could make a trade, but the price for even part-time players tends to be exorbitant in April. So most likely, the Mets will stay the course a while longer, hoping Reyes busts out of his slump, Flores gets healthy and David Wright draws closer to a return.
Is Brandon Nimmo still alive?
-- @ChrisBandlow via Twitter
While recovering from the right hamstring injury that sidelined him during Spring Training, Nimmo suffered a bruised hand that knocked him out even longer. The outfielder has yet to make his 2017 debut, meaning he isn't going to be an option for the Mets anytime soon.
Is there any chance the Mets sell high on Jay Bruce now while he's hot?
-- @Vgiacalone11
Considering how many problems the Mets have right now, trading away one of their best hitters in April just isn't a luxury they can afford. It looks more and more like Bruce will be a Met through the end of this season -- something that seemed incredibly unlikely just four months ago.
This one's random but legitimate: how come beat writers don't catch the same bugs as players when they go around in a clubhouse?
-- @JameRockLGM via Twitter
Trust me when I say they do. And it's not just beat writers. Coaches, training staff members, other support staff -- when a germ worms its way into the clubhouse, as it did for the Mets this month, it's tough for anyone to avoid catching it. Even for world-class athletes, the lifestyle of staggered sleep cycles, plus close quarters in clubhouses and on planes, just isn't conducive to avoiding sickness.