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Mets RHP Dillon Gee on DL; deGrom starts Thursday

By WTOP Staff

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Dillon Gee was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained back muscle, setting up a rare matchup in the Subway Series finale between two starters making their major league debuts.

Jacob deGrom will take Gee’s spot in the rotation Thursday night against New York Yankees right-hander Chase Whitley, who will be promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill in for injured CC Sabathia.

“It’s unusual, but it seems to be the state that the game is in right now with all the injuries,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

The move also means the Mets are scheduled to start consecutive pitchers making their big league debuts for the first time in team history. Rafael Montero pitched Wednesday night at Citi Field against the Yankees after he was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Montero got the ball instead of Jenrry Mejia, who was bumped to the bullpen this week.

“We now have two guys in the rotation who weren’t in the rotation yesterday,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. “What was once tremendous depth is now getting more and more shallow in terms of resources.”

Gee has been the Mets’ most consistent and durable starter for about a calendar year. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in eight starts this season.

“We’re all pretty disappointed today,” manager Terry Collins said.

Gee went on the DL retroactive to May 11 and hopes to miss only two turns in the rotation.

“Hopefully, as soon as the soreness gets out, I’ll be good to go,” he said.

In other news, Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud was having concussion tests after he was hit in the head by Alfonso Soriano’s backswing Tuesday night. Alderson said d’Arnaud, who stayed in the game, felt symptoms Wednesday after some light exercise and the team was concerned they could be related to a concussion.

Collins said he planned to start Anthony Recker at catcher anyway Wednesday night, but the Mets weren’t expecting to have an available backup.

The team called up deGrom on Tuesday and planned to put him in the bullpen even though he was in the rotation at Las Vegas. The 25-year-old right-hander was 4-0 with a 2.58 ERA in seven starts for the 51s.

Gee, however, felt extra sore after his last outing Saturday and woke up with more pain Wednesday following his side session the day before. He had an MRI that showed a strained right lat and was given medication.

“It just didn’t go away,” Gee said. “I tried to give it some time to go away. I’ve pitched through discomfort before, and this was just something that I just didn’t feel comfortable pitching through.

“The good thing is the tests show no structural damage.”

The Mets said the last team to have starting pitchers make their major league debuts in consecutive games was the Milwaukee Brewers in September 2002 (Ben Diggins and Dave Pember). They also said the last big league game that featured the debut of both starting pitchers was Sept. 7, 2010, when Gee faced Yunesky Maya in Washington, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The 24-year-old Whitley is 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA in the International League this season.

“I’ve seen his stuff, and he’ll be able to compete,” Girardi said.

In another move, Mets closer Bobby Parnell was transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-Day DL, opening a spot on the 40-man roster for Montero. Parnell is out for the season following Tommy John surgery.

“To be honest, this is the plan Sandy’s had since he’s been here — to be able to reach down and bring up prospects, highly rated prospects,” Collins said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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