Mets Church Returns; Brown Designated

Church!
Image by team doster via Flickr

Ryan Church returns to the Mets today after coming off the disabled list for a strained right hamstring. Emil Brown was designated for assignment after his only start yesterday in Washington.

I’m glad the Mets chose not to send Fernando Martinez down and keep Brown with the team. From what I’ve seen, Brown doesn’t look like he adds much to the team other than a right-handed bat. It makes sense to keep Martinez playing every day for a while and let Church and Gary Sheffield split time in right field, at least for now.

From MLB.com:

“I think it was being at peace with things, and knowing I had some days to rest up,” Church said. “Basically it was getting treatment and staying off of it. But once I got down there, in the balmy 120-degree weather with the humidity, it loosened up real quick.”

Mets Putz Out 8-10 Weeks

NEW YORK - JUNE 01:  Carlos Delgado #21 and Ry...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

J.J. Putz is having surgery on a bone spur in his right elbow according to a report by Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal. This was the elbow that the brilliant Mets medical team injected with cortisone and allowed him to continue to pitch with. And now Putz is having the surgery done by Mets medical director David Altchek.

Flying Ryan Church around the country with a concussion, Carlos Delgado with a bad hip that required surgery, and who knows what else. Frankly, the Mets medical team has earned some criticism around the Internet that may not be undeserved.

Mets Reyes Has Hamstring Tear

Jose ReyesThe injury news for the Mets goes from bad to worse. After leaving an extended spring training game in Florida early this week because of pain, Jose Reyes was diagnosed with a slight tear in his hamstring.

He’s going to rest for two days and resume treatment for it on Sunday, but he’ll likely miss about a month. Since Reyes’ legs are his game, it’s possible that it could be longer than that.

We’ll have to get used to seeing Alex Cora (with an injured thumb) and Wilson Valedez out there on a daily basis. That’s not exactly what we’re used to.

Maybe we’ll get to see Ruben Tejada make his major league debut. He’s the 19 year old Panamanian shortstop playing with Double-A Binghamton. He’s hitting .281 with 1 HR and 19 RBI’s in 167 at-bats.

Mets Pitcher Putz May Need Elbow Surgery

Flickr photo courtesy of ajagendorf25
Flickr photo courtesy of ajagendorf25

Mets reliever J.J. Putz is leaving the team in Washington today for New York to have his elbow examined. He told reporters after another awful appearance that he has sharp pain in his elbow now. He had a cortisone shot in the elbow a couple of weeks ago to address a bone spur and it sounds like that might have become worse. His ERA is up to 5.22 with a 1.636 WHIP.

Putz isn’t helping the Mets right now anyway. He can’t get anybody out. So he might as well leave to get this situation addressed. I would assume that if he needs elbow surgery that he’ll be done for the season.

I’ll be curious to see what the doctors have to say about this injury. I’m wondering if Putz is making more of it than it is because he’s pitching so poorly. Either way, it can only help the Mets for him to leave for a while.

Report: Mets Deal With Injuries, Swine Flu Scare

Carlos BeltranBart Hubbuch of the New York Post is reporting today that SNY producer Dan Barr was sent back to New York and put in isolation while being evaluated for swine flu. With Carlos Beltran and John Maine already missing time due to the flu, this is a scary situation.

Beltran hasn’t played since he left Saturday’s game feeling ill. And Maine left his start on Sunday feeling ill with stomach problems as well. The Mets feel that both players are not at risk for swine flu.

Barr did travel on the team flight to Pittsburgh on Sunday, that’s when he started feeling sick. The Mets are so banged up right now that this is the last thing they need.

Maine stayed in New York to recover and flew to Pittsburgh today. I was surprised that Beltran wasn’t playing again today. The good news is that Alex Cora is back on the roster today. He replaced Angel Pagan who went on the disabled list yesterday with a strained groin.

Mets Reyes Heads To Port St. Lucie; Joins Perez, Cora

Flickr photo courtesy of alpineinc
Flickr photo courtesy of alpineinc

Jose Reyes will be joining Oliver Perez and Alex Cora in Port St. Lucie, FL tonight to continue his attempt to return from the disabled list due to tendinitis in his calf. The plan is for him to work out on Monday, play extended spring training games on Wednesday and Thursday, then meet up with the team in Washington on Friday. He’s eligible to come off the DL that day.

Perez is there because he pitched early in the week at Triple-A Buffalo but is still feeling the effects of tendinitis in his knee. So he returned to Florida to continue his rehab.

Cora is making a faster than expected recovery from the strained ligament in his thumb that landed him on the DL. He is going to give it a go without surgery and could join the team in Pittsburgh on Tuesday when he’s eligible to come off the DL.

The Mets could really use Reyes back as quickly as possible. This team is the walking wounded right now and the batting order is starting to read like the Buffalo Bisons starting lineup.

Mets Reyes, Church To Disabled List

Jose ReyesThe Mets made a flurry of roster moves today that started by adding Jose Reyes and Ryan Church to the 15-day disabled list. Top prospect Fernando Martinez was called up to replace Church.

The Mets completed a trade with the Indians to address their shortstop issues. No. They didn’t get Mark DeRosa. They got Wilson Valdez for cash. Valdez is a 31 year old utility player that’s known as a slick fielder that can’t hit. He’s a .211 lifetime hitter that last played in the majors in 2007 with the Dodgers. He’s only played portions of 3 major league seasons. The word is that he’ll be added to the 25 man roster immediately.

Martinez will be in right field tonight. Don’t miss the fact that he’s playing against the Nationals, Marlins, and Pirates. Those are three teams that would desperately like to acquire top propsects that are major league ready. I’m not saying that he’ll be traded but the Mets might want to leave them with a nice taste of what Martinez can do.