The Mets have added 27-year-old C Mike Nickeas to the major-league roster, and moved John Maine to the 60-day DL.

In seven games with Triple-A Buffalo, Nickeas hit .214 in 28 at bats with a double and a run scored.

He hit .283 with five home runs and 33 RBI in 82 games for Double-A Binghamton.

To learn more about Nickeas, read Adam Rubin go here.

Last week in New York, MetsBlog’s Rich Coutinho talked to Jason Bay about the state of his concussion, playing in New York and whether he regrets how things turned out this season, which you can listen to here:

To read a transcript of Coutinho’s talk with Bay, check this out:

Rich Coutinho:  How are you feeling physically?

Jason Bay:  Better.  It’s just one of those things.  It happens… you’re just kind of waiting it out, talking to people who have had it.  You realize that it’s just one of those things that when it goes away you can kind of get back into it and be smart about it.  Everyone says, all the doctors say, it’s one of those things that when it goes away and you’re good, you’re pretty much back to normal.  But if you come back a little too soon and then it happens again then you’re fighting a real big uphill battle.

Rich Coutinho:  Obviously, baseball is not a place where you want to be at the plate not having the ability to see the ball or maybe dizziness.  In the normal day to day life, have you experienced anything that you can’t do that you could do before?

Jason Bay:  No… it’s not really slowing me down at all.  I haven’t done a lot of physical activity… the doctor was saying, physical ability-wise, you pretty much should be okay.  It the unlikely event, on that one percent chance that you get hit in the head or you take a knee in the head or something happens and you haven’t recovered from the first one, recovering from the second one without being fully healed is potentially devastating.  It happens a thousand, a million times a day, people get hit in the head.  So, it’s making sure that you’re healed from the first one before you do anything.

Rich Coutinho:  Carlos Beltran said the other day that he only had a week to play with you and he was kind of disappointed about that… is that distressing to you that you and him or either Angel or Jeff Francoeur really didn’t have a chance as a trio to play an extended period this year?

Jason Bay:  Yes, it would have been nice.  It would have been nice to have everybody.  I think every team would like to have their 1-through-8 guys in their every day.  I think you saw earlier in the year when Angel was playing center and Frenchy (was in right and me in left, you know how offensively we were better than we were right now.  I think not just the outfield, but everyone was comfortable.  Some things got out of whack.  Some guys ended up missing and Jose Reyes went down and things just slowed down.  Not that that’s a reason, but it’s just one of those things, in a perfect world, you just like to have everybody out there and be cohesive and be constant.  With things always switching around all the time, it’s tough.

Rich Coutinho:  First year in New York, was it what you expected?  Or, not what you expected?  I know you didn’t expect to be sitting out for an extended period of time.  New York, you still like it?  You glad you came here?

Jason Bay:  Absolutely… First of all, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t have a very good year.  If it’s done, it’s done.  Everyone is kind of like, ‘why this, why that.’  Bottom line is: I didn’t do all that great.  For whatever reason, I have to be better.  I think there are a lot of guys here that could say that.  Like I said, I’ll be the first to stand up and say I’ll be better.  It was kind of up and down.  Early on we struggled, then we had that great stretch and kind of realized this is the way it could be.  You go in and everyone’s excited.  Then you go back down and have a bad low-streak again.  There is frustration.  That happens everywhere… When things are good (in New York) it’s magnified.  When things are bad it’s magnified.  That’s the nature of the game.  But I have definitely no regrets and I’m looking forward, like I said, if this year doesn’t end up like it should, then definitely getting some redemption next year… We have a lot of talent.,.. At some point, we have to play better.  Like I said, I will be the first guy on the top of that list to say I need to play better.  If you look at it and you think of all the guys that we have and everything that they’re capable of doing now, that’s not to say everybody is going to have their best years all at once, but if everyone chips in on some level with what they should be doing, based on the stance I had in the spring training, we’re better than we are now.  Are we the team early on that was really struggling?  No.  Are we the team that was winning 10 in a row?  Is anybody that good?  I think we’re definitely somewhere in between and definitely somewhere on that higher side.  We have seen how bad it could be.  We have seen how good it can be.  There just needs to be some consistency in the middle with it and right now there hasn’t been.

This interview was transcribed by SMG Transcription.

In his first-ever big-league game, Mets rookie OF Lucas Duda was hitless in three at bats, though he made a terrific catch in left field.

He left the game early with a cramp in his leg.

Following the game, Jerry Manuel said of Duda:

“I was really impressed with his swing during batting practice.  Just from what I observed today, from a defensive player and what I observed during batting practice, I think they’re going to have to find a place for this young man to play, here in the major leagues next year.  Again, I hope I’m right, because he looks like the type of guy who can produce runs immediately and that is something that is lacking here.

I think I’m going to spend most of September focusing on the young players, especially Duda and Jenrry Mejia.

In talking to people in Spring Training, I got the impression Duda was never really in their long-term plans at the major league level, mostly because of existing big-league contracts, Fernando Martinez and a need for outfield defense in Citi Field.

The thing is, it would be really, really nice to have a guy who can mash the ball like Duda, like an Adam Dunn, just a big, strong kid capable of putting the ball out of any park.  I have no idea if Duda can be that guy, but I look forward to finding out.

“Jerry Manuel admitted yesterday that he would ‘love to know’ if the organization plans to bring him back next season, but he also isn’t about to seek out GM Omar Minaya or Jeff Wilpon for an answer.  Manuel, whose contract expires after the season, said he’ll refrain from asking because he doesn’t want to become a focal point – especially if the organization has already decided to dump him – in this final month.”

~ Mike Puma, New York Post

Here’s the thing about Manuel, how is a difference maker?  What has he done to justify keeping his job?  By the way, being a nice guy and entertaining reporters is not a sufficient answer.

I look at Buck Showalter.  The Orioles were playing .300 baseball when he took over on August 1.  They were awful.  The team is more or less the same as it was before his arrival.  Yet, they are 17–12 under his leadership.  Why?  I don’t know, I suppose it could be a coincidence, favorable pitching match ups, just dumb luck, etc., but it’s hard to believe it doesn’t at least have something to do with Showalter, who is known for joining a team and whipping it in to shape with equal parts outside-the-box thinking and on-field strategy.  The baseball manager is overrated, but there has to be a connection between Showalter and his team’s recent success.

Manuel is 190–198 in 2.5 seasons managing the Mets, who have looked totally disinterested during the last two months of this season.  He was mostly a .500 manager with the White Sox too, short of one fantastic season. In his heart and mind, I truly believe Manuel expected this team to evolve and grow from the back-to-back collapses and the experiences of the last few seasons… I think he thought, by now, they would have bonded and started trusting one another and playing better baseball.  But, it hasn’t happened.  It isn’t working.

In short, I get the impression he is a better man than manager… and to get back to winning, in this ballpark, with this roster, the Mets will need more than that.  Remember, hope is not a strategy.  And so, I’d be shocked, stunned if Manuel is back in the dugout in 2011, because it is clear to every one that it is time to move on.

Last night against the Braves, Mike Pelfrey let 6 of the first 12 batters he faced to reach base, four scored – he pitched three scoreless innings after that, before leaving the game having thrown just 83 pitches.

Pelfrey talked to reporters after the game, and essentially said:

• He did not have command of his fastball.
• The Braves lineup, top to bottom, is very good, ‘When I made mistakes. which I made a lot of them, they made me pay for it.’
• Video revealed he made more mistakes than he initially thought.
• The Braves are too good to not capitalize on those errors.

Pelfrey will likely make four or five more starts between now and the end of the season.  I hope to see him work on keeping his two-seam fastball moving down and through the zone.  But also, I’d like to see him work to adjust to the flow of game more quickly, since he seems to struggle in the first two innings… also, assuming he can get better command of that ball down, it’s time for him to start pitching more intellectually, i.e., command the inning better, such as working around hitters, living with a run scored because it happened on an out that will get him through the inning, dealing with walking a batter because he can get the next guy on a double play, etc.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel talked to reporters after yesterday’s loss to the Braves, during which he essentially said:

• The Braves swung the bats well against Mike Pelfrey early in the game, but after that he pitched ‘pretty well, and I like that he was attacking.’
• He’d like to see Pelfrey do more to ‘put the guy away.’
• The Mets played pretty good defense behind Pelfrey.
• The Braves are hot and playing well.
• His team’s hitters have just not been able to find an offense that has clicked in the second half, and that’s even more difficult without Jose Reyes AND Angel Pagan.
• Carlos Beltran has not been the ‘Carlos Beltran of old.’
• Ruben Tejada can’t find any hits, but he’s putting the ball in play.
• He was impressed with Lucas Duda in left field and especially impressed with his swing during batting practice.

To listen to Manuel’s talk with reporters, click play below:

The Mets (65–68) lost to the Braves (78–55) by the score of 4 to 1 tonight.

• The Mets had one hit in seven innings against Tommy Hanson.
• The Braves started the game with three straight hits and two runs off Mike Pelfrey, who eventually let up nine hits and four runs in five innings.
• Luiz Hernandez had a pinch-hit, two-out, run-scoring single in the eighth.
• Billy Wagner worked a perfect ninth for his 31st save.
• Lucas Duda was hitless in three at bats in his debut, though he made a nice sliding catch in the left-field corner – he left the game early with cramps.

For a full recap and boxscore, go to SNY.TV.

The Mets and Braves conclude their four-game series tomorrow night at 7:10 pm, Johan Santana (10-9, 3.02 ERA) facing Tim Hudson (15-5, 2.24 ERA).

The Mets will look to get on track tonight against the Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta. Game time is 7:10 pm.

The lineup is as follows:

1. Luis Castillo – 2B
2. Josh Thole – C
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Chris Carter – RF
5. Carlos Beltran – CF
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. Lucas Duda – LF
8. Ruben Tejada – SS

Mike Pelfrey (13-7, 3.61 ERA) will start for the Mets. Pelfrey threw eight shutout innings and defeated the Astros in his last start, and he’s 3-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his last four starts. In his career, Pelfrey is 4-7 with a 5.45 ERA 14 games, 13 starts against the Braves.

Tommy Hanson (8-10, 3.76 ERA) will start for the Braves. Hanson has struggled badly as of late, losing his last two starts and allowing ten runs in his last ten innings over that span. He has been dominant against the Mets in his career, allowing just two earned runs in three career starts against them.