PORT ST. LUCIE — At 9:15 Sunday morning, Steven Matz threw a bullpen session, trying to correct the mistakes that were pounded out of the ballpark on Friday, when the Mets’ lefty could not get the ball down and surrendered four home runs to the Nationals.
Pitching coach Dave Eiland watched closely. Quietly standing off to the side was someone who knows a lot about pitching and left-handers and the fearless mindset that is needed to succeed in the major leagues — Al Leiter.
On Sunday, Leiter came home to the Mets.
On March 4, the Mets announced Leiter and John Franco would work with the Mets and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen as baseball operations advisers, brothers in arms again, but Sunday was Leiter’s first day of real observation around the team.