Marlon Anderson has been designated for assignment by the Mets, to make room on the roster for Livan Hernandez.

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The Mets will activate Livan Hernandez this morning.

Jerry Manuel told reporters the team will announce a corresponding roster move later today, most likely prior to the game.

…all signs suggest Marlon Anderson will be released… i know marlon is popular in the clubhouse, he’s said to be a good guy, management loves him, but it’s the right move… especially since Jerry Manuel is holding back his starting pitchers so early in the season, and already relying a lot on his bullpen, which has thrown 14 of the 36 innings the team has played this season… basically, it’s either keep 12 pitchers or keep marlon… and, the bullpen is far bigger priority right now than protecting a popular, but unproductive player…

Yesterday, Adam Rubin of the Daily News said the team will decide between keeping Darren O’Day or Marlon Anderson.

Prior to yesterday’s game, when asked if he has decided who Hernandez will replace on the roster, Jerry Manuel said he prefers to make such announcements at the last minute, because baseball is so unpredictable, but he did say, “You’ve got to protect pitching.”

…the Mets are crazy if they decide to keep marlon over o’day… there is no good reason to go short in the bullpen, especially in April, at the expense of a pinch hitter, who would likely be released during the season at some point anyway… plus, if o’day is cut, he must be offered back to his old team, because he was a Rule 5 pick…

…i can’t believe this is even being discussed…

Speaking of O’Day, in the Bergen Record, Steve Popper writes of how sad O’Day was to hear news that his former teammate, Angels RHP Nick Adenhart, died yesterday in a car crash.

“He was a great teammate and a great friend,” O’Day told Popper.

The 34–year-old Catalanotto, who was born in Long Island, hit .274 with a 26 extra base hits and a .342 OBP in 88 games with Texas last season.

He hit .260 in 2007, .300 in 2006 and .301 in 2005, while getting at least 330 at bats in each season.

He has regularly played first base, left field and right field during the last few seasons.  He has not played second base since 2002.

…i realize Marlon Anderson is only making $1.15 million in his last year or a two-year contract, and i know he’s a nice guy and his teammates love and appreciate him, as does Jerry Manuel, but i would much, much rather have catalanotto on the bench than marlon…

…i’ve always been a big fans of his, and i recall reading a story about Carlos Delgado praising frank’s ability to read pitchers and educate the bench, giving him credit for what he brought to the Blue Jays in 2003 and 2004… additionally, the players on the Rangers were quite vocal in the press about missing catalanotto when he left texas in 2003, while celebrating his return in 2007… this, to me, is a great sign…

…from what i can gather, marlon is on a short-leash anyway… it would not surprise me to see him cut before June, and replaced by either Nick Evans or Jonathan Malo… but, that’s a long way away…

In addition to Marlon Anderson being activated from the disabled list, INF Ramon Martinez, C Gustavo Molina, RHP Carlos Muniz, LHP Jon Niese, RHP Robert Parnell, RHP Al Reyes, 2B Argenis Reyes and LHP Ricardo Rincon will join the team in Milwaukee.

Murphy batted .308 with 13 HR and 67 RBI for the Mets Double-A Binghamton affiliate before being promoted to New Orleans for one game.

Rubin’s report also includes information on the possible promotion of Mets pitching prospect Jon Niese.

…Update…11:06am…

At his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin reports, Murphy was called up to take Marlon Anderson’s, who placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a hamstring issue, spot on the roster.

1) Jose Reyes’s ‘Cadillacing’ around the bases following his game-breaking, three-run home run last night against the Phillies, during which he did not run hard out of the batter’s box.

2) Marlon Anderson, and why is he starting when hitting just .203 in 118 at bats this season.

On Reyes, if that was ‘Cadillacing,’ than what was Rickey Henderson doing all those years?  Jeez.

Why are people so infatuated with ripping on Reyes?  He’s a hot-shot, 25–year-old, exciting baseball player.  Let him be.  If he doesn’t show emotion, people will say he’s stoic, not being himself and being a Kevin McReynolds, and if he does show off they’ll say he’s immature, a showboat and cocky.  Unreal.  Plus, with one out and runners on first and second, the runners were only half way up the base line tagging for a potential pop out, so Reyes had no choice but to slow his trot. 

On Anderson, who will not be in the starting lineup today, I can only think that Jerry Manuel is pulling a page from Willie Randolph’s book in trying to get Anderson in to a rhythm, which is hard to do if he’s buried on the bench.  The thing is, he should be buried.  Easley should be starting in left field, and Argenis Reyes should be starting at second, with Fernando Tatis serving as the primary bat off the bench.

To listen to WFAN on your computer, go to WFAN.com.

Anderson talked to reporters prior to yesterday’s game, and said:

“I came up with it in the car, driving to the game…I feel there’s a negative aura around the Mets right now.  I don’t want to speak for the other guys, but I know that kind of thing has affected me in the past, so I just wanted to give the guys something concrete to look at on paper…The message was, ‘Don’t believe what you read in the papers, or what you hear on TV.’  The bottom line is it’s not over and we’re going to be okay.’”

To hear from Church, as well as watch Kevin Burkhardt talk one on one with Willie Randolph, tune in to the Pre Game Show at 6:30 pm tonight on .

…well, it would seem at least one of the two will return, since Ryan Church must be replaced on the roster…

In the 14 games that Alou has played this season, the Mets are 7–7, during which he is hitting .340.

As noted yesterday, the Mets bench is hitting .165, which is good for last place in the National League.

Rodriguez, who was 1 for 3 in his first game for Triple-A New Orleans yesterday, hit .298 in 158 career games for the Cardinals in 2005 and 2006. 

He spent all of 2007 with Triple-A Memphis. 

Meanwhile, the Mets bench is hitting .165, which is good for last place in the National League.

…and yet, this has not stopped them from carrying two back-up catchers, as well as Abraham Nunez and Ryan Church, who will see a neurologist today because he has been unable to play regularly for the last two weeks…

On Sunday, Willie Randolph told reporters that Marlon Anderson could rejoin the team on its current home stand.

Anderson is batting .167 and was hitless in his previous 18 at-bats before going on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

The Mets entered this season assuming their bench would be Damion Easley, Endy Chavez, Ramon Castro, Angel Pagan and Anderson.

However, Pagan is still recovering from a banged up shoulder, while Chavez is batting .218 and Easley is batting .238, although they have both been hitting in the last week or so.

For what it’s worth, for Triple-A New Orleans, OF Jesus Feliciano is hitting .322, OF-1B Val Pascucci is batting .301 and OF Chris Aguila is hitting .296.

Of course, Robinson Cancel is batting 375.