Note: Reyes, Injured or Not Injured
Jose Reyes did not play last night due to a stiff right calf.
However, WFAN’s Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts continue to push the idea on air that Reyes was benched last night, as punishment for sloppy base running during the last few games.
In the Daily News, though, Adam Rubin writes, “Manuel insisted Reyes sitting wasn’t a smoke screen to bench the shortstop for sloppy baserunning in Wednesday’s home-stand finale.”
Nevertheless, Benigno and Roberts believe Manuel and the Mets fabricated the calf injury to not embarrass Reyes, who told reporters prior to yesterday’s game that he could have played last night, though he felt the pain in his calf as early as Wednesday afternoon.
What’s more, the two radio hosts feel Manuel forced his team to steal seven bases last night to send a further message to Reyes that the team is capable of speed without him in the lineup.
…well, if this is the case, and manuel has some magic button that can make his team do special things on demand, can he use it more often, please… thanks…
…here’s the thing, when reyes talked to reporters yesterday, he pointed out the injury, and showed them the area near his shin that was hurting… according to eyewitnesses, he was walking gingerly at times, though he wasn’t so far as limping on every step… also, from what i understand, the Mets took an X-Ray, and even considered keeping him back to take an MRI, but chose not to…
…isn’t this a lot to go through in an effort to protect jose’s ego…
…plus, if you’re going to punish jose, why hide the reason… isn’t the whole point to call him out on his mistakes…
For more on Reyes, read John Harper in the Daily News, who wonders if the player’s lack of instincts will force Omar Minaya to consider trading him one day.
