Inbox: How do Mets feel about quiet parks?

Summer Camp has reached its halfway point, which makes this an excellent time to dig into another batch of questions and answers in a Mets Inbox. On your mind: starting pitching, Jed Lowrie, prospects and more. But first:

How are the guys feeling about playing in quiet empty stadiums?
-- @CorrineLombardi

Rather than me answer, I’ll let the Mets speak for themselves, since this has been a common topic of conversation since the start of Summer Camp.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” said J.D. Davis. “I think towards the second half [last season], we fed off the fans. It just kind of clicked. It’s definitely going to be different. But you know what? You guys have all seen that we bring our own energy pretty good in the clubhouse and on the field.”

“I’m a pretty self-motivated person,” said Marcus Stroman. “It comes from my father, who raised me like that. I have no problem getting up when there’s another person in the box or when I have to perform for my team. So I don’t see it being a problem at all.”

• Stroman's confidence in the best shape of its life

“I know we’re not going to be able to do the chest bumps, the pregame handshake rituals and ripping the shirts off after walk-off wins, but we’ll figure something out,” added Pete Alonso. “I mean, we have a really good chemistry. We’ve got some good things going on in the clubhouse, and we’ve got a pretty awesome group of guys.”

Strong words, and probably true. It will be interesting to see how players react, particularly considering the extent to which the younger Mets fed off the Citi Field crowd last August as they rallied back into National League East contention. They haven’t seemed to have much trouble ramping up during simulated games, even with the stadium quieter than it will be during the regular season -- not much music yet, no fake crowd noise, no cardboard cutouts in the stands and no opposing team in the visiting dugout.

Putting all of that aside, baseball also provides one of professional sports’ great adrenaline rushes: a batter facing a pitcher 60 feet, six inches away. The Mets shouldn’t have any trouble getting up for that.

If one of the starting pitchers goes down, what are the chances that the Mets insert David Peterson into the rotation instead of Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman?
-- @MillManner

I’d say pretty high. While the Mets do seem more open to giving Lugo or Gsellman starts than they did a year ago, they still value the flexibility those pitchers give them out of the bullpen. They won’t move either without a very good reason for doing so.

Peterson, on the other hand, is a big league-ready starter already stretching out to pitch as deep into games as the Mets need. So long as he proves worthy of the chance -- and Peterson did in Spring Training, showcasing improved velocity -- he will stay in that "next man up" category alongside Walker Lockett and Corey Oswalt.

Will MLB let Jed Lowrie wear that brace during a game or do they have to modify it?
-- @chrisgannon82

Lowrie has been trying to transition from a bulky rehab brace into a smaller, more mobile brace that, unlike the larger one, is fine to use in games. The problem is that running causes Lowrie more pain in the smaller brace than it does in the larger one. Until he feels comfortable playing with it, he’s not going to be able to help the Mets.

How do you in the media talk with players -- all Zoom?
-- @WShaneMcMordie

Yes, it’s a strange new world for us in the media as well, with multiple Zoom sessions scheduled daily to talk to manager Luis Rojas and players. Just like the Mets, who have needed to adapt on the fly to stay safe as they train for the season, we in the media have figured out new ways to do our jobs. And the inevitable technical difficulties haven’t been too bad to date!

Do you see the Mets putting any kids on the initial 30-man roster, or more veterans? Like Andrés Giménez, for example, over Eduardo Núñez or Gordon Beckham.
-- @MetsSouthFla

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen has indicated it’s going to be mostly veterans as the Mets look to take advantage of this unique opportunity to steal the NL East over a 60-game sprint. That’s the whole reason why New York signed guys like Beckham, Melky Cabrera and Jared Hughes in recent weeks, hoping to fortify its roster for a win-now push.

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Certainly, Giménez has a chance to make the team regardless, as do young pitchers like Peterson or Ryley Gilliam. But it seems like any ties will go to the veterans as the Mets look to get off to the fastest start possible, knowing a bad week could doom their chances. In 2020, the Mets have no interest in growing pains.