#Steven Matz’s curveball keeps impressing at Mets camp

Without Noah Syndergaard in the rotation, the southpaw is being asked to emerge. So far, he’s looked up to the task.

Matz continued to impress in spring training 2.0, delivering three shutout innings in an intrasquad game in which he allowed two hits, walked one and struck out three while throwing 45 pitches. Matz’s curveball is becoming a bigger part of his arsenal, and he’s throwing it at different speeds, creating deception.

“The velo difference in the ones that he’s throwing is really good,” manager Luis Rojas said of the velocity. “There are some things he can do off that curveball with his fastball, up in the zone or sneak one on. There are so many things he can do. Adding that weapon to the contrast of his pitches and repertoire of his pitches, it will be great for us and himself.”

Rojas credited pitching coach Jeremy Hefner for part of it, noting Matz and Hefner have had close communication throughout the first spring training and the layoff before this latest return.

Submit your Mets questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag

“I know Hef is really good at working on expanding repertoires and teaching details of release points,” Rojas said.

Arguably even more impressive was the work of his counterpart, Michael Wacha. Facing most of the Mets’ regulars, the newcomer threw 54 pitches over four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out five, two coming against Michael Conforto.

Rojas said it is too early in this shortened camp to make evaluations on the back end of the roster. In fact, the decisions on the final players to make the 30-man roster could go until the last day of workouts. When asked what will be weighted more heavily, how a player looks during camp or his past experience, Rojas said: “It will be a balance of both.” Considering the Mets are playing just two exhibition games, next weekend against the Yankees, there won’t be a lot to go on otherwise.

“It should be a late, late call as far as getting real close to the season for that,” he said.

Rojas was hopeful they would start to get a better idea over the next week of where the roster stands. He did single out veterans such as Melky Cabrera, Matt Adams and Gordon Beckham.

“We know what they can do,” he said. “We’ve seen their recent history in the game, and they’re in great shape.”

The Mets remained tight-lipped about the status of Robinson Cano and Brad Brach. Brach has yet to arrive for workouts, and Cano was last seen in an intrasquad game on Monday. Rojas said he expects to see them “soon,” but declined to offer a timetable. … Dellin Betances retired all three batters he faced in Saturday’s intrasquad game. Jeff McNeil took Hunter Strickland deep for the game’s lone run.