PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Summers in Port St. Lucie can be hot and monotonous -- breeding grounds for boredom. For Christian Scott, a summer spent rehabbing Tommy John surgery meant finding ways to occupy himself. Scott learned to cook, mostly steaks and breakfast foods. He taught himself chess, finding online opponents from places as far-flung as India.
“You try to have different activities to keep you busy,” Scott said. “But yeah, I was definitely really bored for sure.”
Now, though? Scott isn’t so bored anymore. Monday, he stretched out to 56 pitches over three-plus innings, allowing three runs and striking out four Nationals batters in the Mets’ 12-6 loss. While Scott is unlikely to make the Mets’ Opening Day roster given the presence of six healthy starters above him on the depth chart, he is building a credible case to be the first arm up once an injury strikes.
“He had to work really hard,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “This is a guy that’s not afraid. He’s not afraid. He attacks and stays on the attack. I think it’s just keeping him healthy, because he’s going to be a big part of this team moving forward.”
It wasn’t so long ago that Scott was in camp with the same type of hype that Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong have now. The Mets’ top pitching prospect heading into the 2024 season, Scott dominated Triple-A Syracuse for nine starts before debuting in the Majors and holding his own for nine more. Just as Scott’s star seemed to be ascending, however, he snapped the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, necessitating Tommy John surgery.
That first offseason was the toughest, as Scott passed interminable hours in Florida, unable to throw. Once spring came around, the right-hander’s outlook improved. He began playing catch and checking all the boxes he needed to check. He spent much of his down time with teammates Drew Smith, Adbert Alzolay and Calvin Ziegler, all of whom were also recovering from Tommy John. Those four formed a small rehab clique, spending hours at the pool together to stave off that ever-encroaching boredom.
All the while, Scott used every resource at his disposal to improve. In the weight room, he and trainers drew up a plan that helped him pack on 8-10 pounds of muscle, with an eye toward improving his stamina both within games and over the course of a season. From Smith, Scott learned the grip for a cut fastball that has essentially replaced his slider. He also added a kick-changeup that he’s flashed on occasion this spring.
While those pitches weren’t perfect in Monday’s relief outing, Scott still generated seven whiffs on his splitter and four more on his fastball, offering glimpses of his ceiling.
“The stuff is electric, man,” Mendoza said. “When he’s healthy, he can do some special things.”
For Scott, a college reliever at the University of Florida who converted to full-time starting work in the low Minors, those special things will require moving into uncharted territory. Dating as far back as his college days, Scott has never even reached 90 innings in a season. Provided Scott stays healthy this summer, the Mets may ask him for many, many more than that. It will be a challenge, for sure, but one he’s ready to tackle.
At the very least, Scott doesn’t need to be bored anymore.
“Yeah, I’m excited,” he said. “Sometimes, you take it for granted going out and doing this for a living. But taking a year and a half off, you want to go out there and show what you’re capable of. Obviously, I know there’s a lot of guys coming up behind you, so you want to be able to stay healthy and do that at a consistent level. I’m excited for that.”