Note: Argenis Reyes tonight instead of Castillo
Argenis Reyes will start at second base and bat eighth tonight instead of Luis Castillo.
Jerry Manuel, speaking with reporters about Castillo prior to tonight’s game, said:
“I wanted to give him a break from what he’s going through. He’s not swinging the best that he has…We’ll need him at some point…I don’t know if it’s a one-day thing. Argenis Reyes has been struggling too, but this will not hinder us defensively.”
Manuel acknowledged that the fans at Shea Stadium have been particularly hard on Castillo, though he described it as, ‘understandable,’ adding:
“You can’t hide from that…Luis is coming off a long layoff, and he’s not what he was with his timing…We have in option in Reyes that does not hurt the team, so we can do it without losing much.”
By the way, Castillo started 48 games n 2007, during which the Mets went 23-25. In 2008, he has started 77 games, during which the Mets are 37-40.
…thanks to John P for the information…
To hear more from Manuel, including how he intends to handle any potential rain outs this weekend, as well as to see Kevin Burkhardt’s most recent tour of Citi Field, tune in to SNY’s Pre Game Show at 6:30 pm.
