No replacement for Reyes has been announced.

Argenis Reyes has been promoted from Triple-A.

…i don’t know for fact, but i think martinez has been on the disabled list at least once per season during his professional career… to which Ted Berg said to me Fernando Martinez: Teenage Hurting Machine…

Last season, Reyes was hitting .271 during mid-August, but had just one hit in his final 26 at bats.

…he plays a strong defense… but he’s a pretty weak hitter, even at his best… he’ll be a good back-up infielder on this team, so i hope this happens…

Reyes is batting .296 with nine stole bases and 11 extra base hits in 45 games at Triple-A.

Reyes hit just .218 with one extra base hit and a .259 OBP in 49 games for the Mets last season.

… he looked so good in July, when he was at least making contact against righties, getting on base and flipping fancy double plays with Jose Reyes… however, that was short lived… by the end of the season, he made Endy Chavez look like He-Man…

The Mets also signed 38–year-old LHP Tom Martin to a minor-league deal.

Martin did not pitch in the major leagues in 2008.

He had a combined 5.08 ERA in 94 relief appearances for the Rockies during 2006 and 2007, while striking out 56 batters and walking 34.

Reyes hit just .218 with a .259 OBP in 49 games for the Mets last season.

Also, because I know you’re wondering, Brian Bannister is 21–25 with a 4.87 ERA since being traded from the Mets to the Royals in exchange for Burgos.

…thanks to Nate for the info, i guess…

Naturally, according to the same post, the best second baseman in baseball was Phillies 2B Chase Utley, followed by Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia and O’s 2B Brian Roberts.

In a recent report for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal wrote that the O’s could look to trade Roberts if the two sides do not reach agreement on a contract extension.

Omar Minaya:  They were hitting really well, but the reality is that Easley had a very good year.  I mean, we’ve got a really good bench.  And the fact that a lot of our guys were hurt, early those guys were hurt, we had injuries, and guys like Fernando Tatis – as a bench player – were outstanding, Easley as a bench player was outstanding.  Castro as a bench player did a very good job.  Those guys, though they may have numbers that look good in Triple A, still they have never been proven guys in the major leagues and you can’t take Triple-A numbers and correlate them to Major Leagues numbers.

Question 4, during which we talk about ‘gritty players,’ and how you scout such a player, will post at 12 pm.

To read a full transcript of this entire interview, click here.

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.

Instead, Easley is still only able to be used as a ‘spot pinch hitter.’

Meanwhile, Luis Castillo is batting .200 in 15 games since returning from the disabled list, and Argenis Reyes has just one hit in his last 26 bats.

Regarding second base in general, Manuel said, “Yeah, we’ve got some issues, we’ve got some things we’ve got to deal with.”

Like I wrote last night, and like Manuel even said himself last week, Reyes, despite his issues at the plate, has an energy about him that is good for this team.  Plus, he is a more lively, more reliable defensive second baseman.

Look, for whatever reason, whether coincidence or not, the Mets play better when Reyes is in the lineup – or so it seems.

This should not be ignored, especially with just six games left.