Jerry Manuel, regarding Evans, said:

“He has that type of bat, that type of life when he’s right… You know, he was very close to making the team out of spring training… I have to play him every day, if he keeps hitting he keeps playing.”

…the Mets need all of the offense they can get… and i feel like, since he played the outfield well in the minor leagues, evans should be starting in left field, with Jeremy Reed in center field, and Ryan Church in right field… and, if manuel has to play Fernando Tatis, put him in a corner and use church in center field, which he talked about doing during spring training when giving Carlos Beltran a day off… Daniel Murphy is finally getting his swing back, and he’s quick and getting better at first base… and so, i’d go with:

Alex Cora batting leadoff, followed in order by Murphy, David Wright, Church, Evans, Omir Santos, Reed and Luis Castillo.

Speaking of Evans, Jeff Roberts of the Bergen Record explains how some lockers in the team’s clubhouse still do not have names over them, like Evans, given the constantly changing roster, due to injuries.

…i was thinking about this the other day…

if i were the equipment manager, given the state of the roster, and the team-first, team-wins mentality, i think i’d rip all last names from the team’s jerseys, and go old school, no names, like in 1999…

…i always liked that look… and, i think it has a relevant meaning for this club…

…this will be interesting to watch, in that Daniel Murphy had been looking better at the plate, as well… evans had been playing the outfield in Double-A, so perhaps he ends up in a corner if Gary Sheffield ends up missing more time… or, perhaps evans leapfrogs Fernando Tatis in the pecking order, since tatis cannot stop hitting in to double plays… jeeez, man… or, maybe murphy is out of luck… or, maybe it’s time to send down Fernando Martinez…

Martinez is hitting .174 in 69 at bats this season, but just .095 in his last seven games.

…martinez can hit a fastball… no doubt… however, he’s clearly over-matched when facing other, devastating pitches, like the split-finger fastball, the 12–6 curve ball, a power change-up, etc., pitches he most likely never ever saw in Triple-A, let alone Double-A…

Yesterday, WFAN’s Mike Francesa said the Mets may soon need to consider sending Martinez back to the minor leagues if his batting average dips below .150, for fear his confidence could be totally shattered.

Francesa said he would be worried that, for a 19–year-old kid, Martinez could psych himself out and begin believing he is incapable of playing in the major leagues, creating a huge set back for the young prospect, which could take years to recover from.

…i don’t know about all of that, though it’s a interesting point…

Evans is batting .360 with a .407 OBP, including 10 extra base hits, over the last two weeks for Double-A Binghamton.

Rubin does not report who will be demoted, though he speculates it may be Fernando Martinez.

… good bet… evans is hitting left-handed pitching well in the minors, and he hit well against lefties last season for the Mets… the thing is, Daniel Murphy hits better against left-handed pitching, as well… so, it’s not like the two of them could be a straight platoon… the same can be said for Fernando Tatis, actually…

Update, 4:01 pm:

The Mets have sent Fernando Martinez back to Triple-A Buffalo, while recalling Evans from Binghamton.

In nine starts for Single-A this season, the 19–year-old Mejia is 4–1 with a 1.97 ERA in 50 innings, during which he has 44 strike outs.

Meanwhile, Evans is batting .200 in 10 games since joining Binghamton.

For more, check out Toby’s Mets Minor League Blog.

Last season, Evans hit .311 in Double-A, and .257 in 109 at bats for the Mets.

Last night, in a post to his blog for the Daily News, Adam Rubin said to look for Evans to be demoted to Double-A Binghamton.

Bart Hubbuch writes to his blog for the New York Post, “It’s gotten so bad that I’ve even heard rumblings Evans could be shipped all the way to Single-A or extended spring training in Florida to work out his problems.”

…man, poor evans… what is that all about… i have to think he’s being jerked around a bit down there, considering the team has Michel Abreu, Jesus Feliciano and Wily Mo Pena all playing first base as well… but still, yikes…

…evans was only going to be on the roster for a few days anyway, as he would have been optioned down to make room for Livan Hernandez, when a fifth starter is first needed…

…the real question is Saturday, April 11, when livan is needed: will the Mets cut ties with Marlon Anderson, maybe Jeremy Reed, though i doubt it, or will they reduce a spot in the bullpen, like Darren O’Day…

…i suspect a lot will depend on what Jerry Manuel and Razor Shines make of sheffield over the next few days, as they work him out in the outfield and get him at bats as a pinch hitter…

As expected, the Mets also put Billy Wagner, Angel Pagan and Tim Redding on the 15-day disabled list.

He’s hitting .308 with a team-high 12 RBI and a .379 on-base percentage this spring.

Following the game, Jerry Manuel said Evans will start in right field today, according to Newsday.

Last week, Adam Rubin suggested Evans would make the Opening Day roster, but would be demoted a few days later to make room on the roster for Livan Hernandez.

Today, in a post to his blog for the Daily News, Rubin explains why he now feels Evans could be a permanent addition to the roster at the expense of Marlon Anderson.

…the question will be, can the Mets get evans enough at bats in the big leagues, or whether he’d be better off playing regularly in triple-A…

For more on Evans, check out Marty Noble’s report for MLB.com.

Making the list at #11 is Daniel Murphy, of which they write:

“This offseason, he played second base in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .397 with 18 RBI in 15 games.”

“The Mets were not satisfied with second baseman Luis Castillo’s 2008 performance, and this could create additional playing time should the team explore other left-field options.”

Jon Niese, and Nick Evans also made the list at #38 and #81 respectively.

Sickels believes SS-3B Wilmer Flores is the team’s top prospects, who he gives a B+, and says, “I might take some flack for this, but in this case I think his upside is higher than Fernando Martinez.  If I could have just one of them, I’d pick Flores.”

Sickels ranks Martinez second, followed in order by LHP Jon Niese, RHP Brad Holt, SS Reese Havens, 3B Jefry Marte, RHP Jenrry Mejia, RHP Robert Parnell, RHP Eddie Kunz and 1B Nick Evans, who round out the Top 10.

Ultimately, Sickels says the team’s farm system ranks among the middle of the pack in MLB, concluding:

“The Mets continue to make a big push in Latin America, and they seem to have a knack for finding some interesting pitchers in the later rounds of the draft… They have the financial resources to be a lot more aggressive in the draft than they have been, so there’s really no excuse for this NOT to be a good farm system…. They have made significant progress and there is quite a bit of upside here, but more needs to be done.”

Last week, Adam Rubin compiled the team’s Top 10 Prospects for Baseball America, while Kevin Goldstein released his Top 11 Prospects for Baseball Prospectus.

Speaking of minor leaguers…

According to Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog, there is an Internet rumor going around that suggests Mets 20-year-old LHP Nathan Vineyard has decided to retire.

Hyde is working to confirm or deny the rumor about Vineyard, who missed most of the 2008 season following shoulder surgery.

By the way, Vineyard does not appear on any of the above lists.