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All-Star Break coming up after the Cubs series and I think it’s worth a thought about how Terry Collins will line up his rotation coming out of it. \u00a0 There are a couple of things to consider here, including getting Dickey as many games as possible, the impending division match-ups, and the two pitchers coming off shoulder surgery.<\/p>\n
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So I’d definitely start R.A. Dickey<\/a><\/strong> the first game back against the Braves. \u00a0This also ensures he’ll pitch against division-leading Washington in the second series. \u00a0I’d then pitch Jonathon Niese<\/a><\/strong> and Dillon Gee<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0 Give Johan Santana<\/a><\/strong> the extra days off, which amounts to skipping a start, and have him start the series against the Nationals on Tuesday, 11 days after his start tonight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one’s asked this question that I’ve seen, and maybe it’s because no one dreamed Santana would throw this many innings, but I’m starting to wonder if the Mets would prefer he didn’t throw 200 of them this year. \u00a0He’s on pace for about 196, and this is probably the last opportunity the Mets will have to give him a little break before a pennant race. \u00a0 Starting with the Nationals series, the Mets will play 20 games without a day off across five cities and three time zones.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n