Zack Wheeler will follow Matt Harvey to the Mets, and the prized prospect officially will follow the team’s current ace in his major-league debut.
Terry Collins announced Friday that Harvey will start the first game and Wheeler the second in the Mets’ day-night doubleheader Tuesday against the Braves in Atlanta.
Wheeler, 23, hails from the Atlanta suburbs and will have friends and family members in attendance for his debut, but the Mets’ manager decided against having him pitch the makeup game in the afternoon in front of a likely smaller crowd.
“You can pitch him in a boneyard. You’re not going to take the pressure off this guy,” Collins said before the Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Cubs. “People are going to be there. It doesn’t matter if it’s at noon or 1 or 7. It’s a big league game. It’s his first major league start. There’s going to be a lot of heat on him. He’s going to put it on himself.
“I just thought, ‘Put him where he’s the most comfortable,’ and that would be to pitch the second game.”
WRIGHT OR WRONG
David Wright defended getting thrown out by left fielder Alfonso Soriano trying to go from first to third on Lucas Duda’s single for the second out of the Mets’ two-run seventh.
“I think it’s the right play. I’ll do it again,” Wright said. “It takes a great throw, a great play by Soriano. He made it. . . . In our situation, we have to run the basepaths aggressively. That play happens again tomorrow, I’m going to try the same thing.”
JOHAN RETURNS
Johan Santana, who underwent his second shoulder surgery on April 2, visited with Collins and teammates before the game. Even if the two-time Cy Young winner makes it back to the majors, he isn’t expected to return next season to the Mets, who control a $5.5 million option for 2014.
“He feels better than where he was at this point with his first surgery, which is a great sign,” Collins said. “He has a great attitude. He can’t wait to continue and hopefully come back and pitch again.”
SPECIAL GUEST
As part of the Mets’ “Amazin’ Calls” program, Daniel Murphy phoned Richard Bedard on Wednesday and invited him to Citi Field, meeting him Friday on the field during batting practice. Bedard, who lives with cerebral palsy, will graduate from the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson, N.Y., on Thursday and will attend Adelphi University to study law in the fall on scholarships for academic merit and for leadership and community service.
“He’s a very impressive young man,” Murphy said. “It’s always such a humbling experience to see how someone like Richard reacts to the situation he’s in, and all he does to help others. He’s got a servant’s heart, and it’s amazing to see and to get a chance to meet him.”
BROOKLYN’S OWN
A source said fourth-round pick LJ Mazzilli, son of former Met and Yankee and Brooklyn product Lee Mazzilli, has agreed to terms with the Mets. The former UConn second baseman will report to Single-A Brooklyn for his first workout on Saturday.
