As season's first month nears end, answers to some pressing questions

You have questions, we have the answers:

Q: Are the Mets for real in the National League East or is this an April mirage?

A: The Mets' start is a sign of their all-new can-do attitude. They won 79 games last season and came to spring training convinced they were a contender. And then, after they won two of three in their first series in Washington, they had a confidence-builder, beating a team they went 4-15 against in 2014. The Mets are winning even though their second-best pitcher, Zack Wheeler, and team leader, third baseman David Wright, are the disabled list. They are also missing catcher Travis d'Arnaud and a lefty reliever Jerry Blevins, the former National. But even without Wheeler, the Mets have plenty of pitching. Matt Harvey has dominated with 31 strikeouts and three walks. Bartolo Colon, 42, is an ageless wonder that seldom issues a walk. Jacob deGrom, the NL Rookie of the Year in 2014, and Jon Niese are solid. The only question with the Mets is whether they are using Harvey, recovering from Tommy John surgery, too much in the early going. Did he really need to pitch the eighth and ninth innings of Saturday's 8-2 against the Yankees?

Q: The Red Sox are trying to go from last to first in the American League East, but is there any chance they can do that?

A: Not with the way they've looked early. All facets of their game have been falling apart. Rick Porcello, their $82 million pitcher, pitches well for two or three innings and then hits the wall, as he did Friday night in Camden Yards. Lefty Wade Miley, acquired from Arizona, hasn't pitched a good game yet. Joe Kelley has the rotation's lowest ERA at 4.08 going into the week. And, the rotation is struggling to average more than five innings a game, meaning that the Red Sox's bullpen is stressed. The closer, Koji Uehara, is losing his fastball - it has lost 4 mph in velocity - so he's using more secondary pitches. And in the lineup, rookie Mookie Betts isn't hitting and might not be ready for prime time. Their new third baseman, Pablo Sandoval, isn't productive from the right side of the plate. David Ortiz is also struggling.

Q: Why would the Rangers want to reacquire outfielder Josh Hamilton?

A: The Rangers are in a no-lose situation, so they might as well make a trade with the Angels for Hamilton, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and making headlines with because of drug addiction relapse. If Hamilton is healthy, and can find peace in Texas, he might give the Rangers 15 home runs and 75 RBIs. And, given the Rangers are going to pay no more than $7 million of his contract, the Rangers might as well go for it. The Rangers need help in their outfield, and Hamilton will be returning to an organization where he starred from 2008-2012, making All-Star teams, winning the AL MVP and playing in consecutive World Series. Rangers fans will forgive him for his infamous quote where he said that Dallas-Fort Worth is a "football town'' and not a baseball town. The Angels and Hamilton must have had a no-fix relationship after the Angels were angry with Major League Baseball for not suspending Hamilton after his relapse. It's bizarre because the Angels could use help in left field, given their platoon of Matt Joyce and Colin Cowgill isn't producing much.

Q: Why the Houston Astros winning? Do they have a chance?

A: Seattle was a trendy pick in the American League West, but maybe the Astros were overlooked. They have won four of their first six series and are coming off a weekend sweep in Oakland. The Astros are in rebuilding mode, but what gives them a chance for more wins this season is an improved bullpen. The Astros have blown 73 saves in the last three seasons, and last offseason, they spent money to improve the bullpen, adding Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. There are also Samuel Deduno, Joe Thatcher and Will Harris. The closer is Chad Qualls. The Astros are similar to the 1986-87 Twins. In 1986, the Twins lost 91 games with a bullpen than converted 56 percent of its save chances, the second-lowest percentage in the AL. Then, Twins GM Andy MacPhail acquired closer Jeff Reardon from Montreal and the next year, the Twins won the AL West and eventually the World Series. We're not saying the Astros are going to win the World Series, but having a dependable bullpen with strong starters and an above-average offense means that they could contend.

Q: Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright is out after hurting is ankle while batting in game in Milwaukee. Does this injury fuel the need for the NL to adopt the DH rule?

A: There's a lot of emotion on both sides of this issue. The argument against is that the rules committee shouldn't overreact to one injury, even if it is Wainwright. But the argument for the DH in the NL is that it would eliminate soft innings when pitchers hit and it would make the rules uniform at a time when there is daily interleague play. There's always a risk of injuries to pitchers at bat, especially AL pitchers who don't hit much. But what happens if a contending AL team is playing in an NL city the final two weeks of the season and can't use the DH? Consider that Tony Clark, the head of the players' union, told reporters in spring training that there is a movement among NL teams to add the DH and that it will be discussed when the new basic agreement is negotiated in 2016.