Daily Archives: May 26, 2009
Carlos Beltran is scheduled to have an MRI today on his right knee, which he told reporters has been hurting the last week.
…jeez, maybe the Mets should just have MRI Mondays, on which the entire team rides a bus to the Hospital for Special Surgery, where they can all stand in line for a group MRI, just to be careful and get them all over with in one shot…
Beltran played DH over the weekend in 
Boston, while in an American League ballpark, but did some light running prior to yesterday’s game and then told Jerry Manuel he wanted to be in the starting lineup.
Beltran, as quoted by the Daily News:
“I told him, I’m gonna do everything it takes for me to be out there. But if it’s something that I can’t tolerate, then I’ve got to pull myself from the lineup, simple as that. I don’t want to try to be a hero and then something worse happens and I end up losing a lot of games. I don’t want that to happen.”
…beltran gets knocked by lots of fans who say he is ‘soft,’ and easily begs out of the lineup because of constant nagging injuries… i have been able to see him in the clubhouse, off the field, etc., and i now realize this is not at all true… he may be physically soft, in that he gets hurt a lot, or is frequently in pain, but he’s tough as nails when it comes to working through the pain and being in the lineup… the fact that he’s often injured is just genetics, and dumb luck, but i believe the fact that he’s often in the lineup is a result of him being tougher than most people realize…
In a recent report for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal writes, “The Mets definitely are interested in Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson,” according to a major-league source.
Rosenthal also lists Marlins 1B Jorge Cantu as a possible replacement at first base, “but the Mets probably would prefer a left-handed hitter.”
…i guess… but, i’d still rather Gary Sheffield in left, Daniel Murphy at first, a better back-up infielder and another starting pitcher to replace either Tim Redding or Livan Hernandez…
Rosenthal also reports on Fernando Martinez; the Astros, and whether they will trade Roy Oswalt; the Brewers lack of interest in Mark DeRosa; and the Phillies, who are looking to trade for a front-end starting pitcher.
Tagged News |Ryan Church had an MRI yesterday that did not reveal a tear in his right hamstring, according to SNY.
Church told reporters yesterday that he is feeling a lot better than he did over the weekend in Boston.
That said, Omar Minaya told reporters the team is still considering whether to put Church on the disabled list, while saying Mets 20–year-old prospect Fernando Martinez could be among Church’s possible replacements.
“I want to be there,” Martinez told the Buffalo News. “I don’t know when, but I hope pretty soon.”
…i want to see martinez as much as the next Mets fan, believe me… however, if church is put on the disabled list, that roster spot has to be used to promote someone who can play shortstop… or, just put Ramon Martinez on the disabled list, too, and promote fernando and Jonathan Malo at the same time…
Martinez is batting .291 with 25 extra base hits, 28 RBI and a .337 OBP in all 42 games for the Bisons this season, during which he has struck roughly 18 percent of the time.
“The guy, for 20 years old, is just mature,” Triple-A manager Ken Oberkfell told the News. “He knows how to play the game.”
Tagged Ryan Church |
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Jose Reyes did light running yesterday, and told reporters, though he is willing to play at less than 100 percent, he is not yet close to being ready.
…from what i can gather, and this makes no sense, the Mets will likely go as-is and then decide Friday if reyes should go on the disabled list… how does this make any sense… ugh… so, let’s assume reyes goes on the DL on Friday, a) this means he will have missed 12 of the team’s last 15 games, then b) since the move can be retro-active to May 20, he will not be eligible to return until around June 4, three weeks after the initial injury, which apparently occurred off field, by the way, on route to San Francisco…
In the New York Post, Joel Sherman 
writes, “Omar Minaya needs to go find a shortstop, and that has as much to do with Alex Cora as Jose Reyes.”
Last night on SNY, Kevin Burkhardt said Cora will visit a doctor today, and if it is determined he will not need surgery on his thumb, Cora could return much sooner than expected.
Meanwhile, Ramon Martinez, who missed time in Boston due to back pain, did his best to be in the starting lineup, knowing the team needed a shortstop.
Martinez has just two hits in 26 at bats this season.
In a post to his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin reports, “The Mets had brought infielder Jonathan Malo to New York as a precaution in case Martinez couldn’t go, but he never was activated.”
In the sixth inning last night, Gary Sheffield crushed an inside fastball for a three-run home run to left field.
“He’s a guy now that’s obviously inserted himself into the middle of the lineup and is doing very well,” Jerry Manuel explained to reporters 
following last night’s win. “He’s driven in some big runs for us. I did not envision him being a six-games-out-of-six-games-a-week player at this point in his career.”
Sheffield is batting .405 with three home runs and nine RBI since Carlos Delgado was put on the disabled list.
…i did not have a problem with the Mets signing sheffield, but i did have a problem with them keeping him as long as they did… i would have cut him a long time ago, because, at the time, when not hitting well, i felt his presence was causing playing-time issues for Daniel Murphy, Fernando Tatis and Ryan Church, which i still believe was true… however, there is no getting around the fact that he has been a huge help, on and off the field, for this team… he’s hitting well, adding power and fear to a lineup that would otherwise be missing it, he’s playing good-enough defense, and he’s been a strong clubhouse presence…
…in other words, i love when i am wrong like this…
For more, read Marty Noble and Tim Britton on MLB.com.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel talked to 
reporters after yesterday’s win over the Nationals, and had the following to say about:
The injuries, and overall health of his team:
“When you are as unhealthy as we are in the position player area that means that some other players, who you would normally give a break to, are not getting that break – so, fatigue sets in and that gives more chances for other injuries to happen… I do think what we have to do is our pitchers have to carry us at this point, until we get our feet back.”
John Maine, who allowed one run in six innings:
“His slider was real good tonight. He could throw it at any time, and when he gets to that point, and the hitter gets caught in between, with his fastball getting life at the end, it makes him a very, very, very good pitcher.
The bullpen walking so many hitters:
“Typically, that’s not something we’ve seen from Bobby Parnell, usually he comes in and throws strikes… I’m hoping that’s not a concern for him. J.J. Putz, I think might be the first time we’ve asked him to get an out, sit down and go back out.”
Manuel also explained that he decided to pull Maine from the game after so much time elapsed during the bottom of the sixth inning, during which the team had to wait an additional six minutes for umpires to review a home run call – had there not been the additional six-minute wait, Manuel said he might have sent Maine back out for the seventh inning.
Here is SNY.TV’s Post Game Extra, from last night’s win against the Nationals, featuring clips from the game; quotes from Jerry Manuel and Gary Sheffield; as well as analysis from Ron Darling and Gary Cohen:
