Category: Injuries

Church May Be In Lineup Tomorrow

Ryan Church could be back on the field for the Mets as early as tomorrow. He’s been on pinch hitting duty only since his concussion last week in Atlanta.

The Mets have been taking some heat for letting Church travel to Colorado and pinch hit but he tells the New York Post:

“They didn’t do anything wrong on their part,” Church said last night after returning from a two-day rest mandated by the team. “They asked me, and I was the final say. I told them I could pinch hit.”

Church’s absence has left a crater in the Mets lineup. He’s carried the team over the first two months of the season. His unexpected production has been the most consistent offense that the Mets have had all season.

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Mets In the News Today: Delgado, Church, And More

Here’s a summary of what’s happening for the Mets in the news today. Joe Torre and the Dodgers come to town for a four game series that has a few interesting story lines.

  • Carlos Delgado– He’s been on the bench for two straight games. I would guess that he’ll start tonight against righty Brad Penny. The way I see it is that the Wilpons told Willie Randolph to start playing his best lineup no matter what. Randolph realized that if he kept up his blind respect for Delgado’s career numbers, he might lose his job. Willie’s always the last one to figure these things out. It’s amazing to me that he can’t see what’s going on with this team. He just pays way too much homage to veterans. As Jim Leyland said “I’ll take talent over experience anytime.” I don’t necessarily like Fox Sports Dayn Perry but read this column about players not earning their pay this season.
  • Ryan Church– He hasn’t been at Shea Stadium for two games in a row because of the concussion that he sustained in Atlanta. There have been plenty of newspaper columns about the Mets handling the situation poorly by flying him to Colorado, pinch hitting him, and then flying back to New York. I come down on the side of the team on this one. I’m sure they went on how Church said that he felt at the time. Read the NY Times article here.
  • Pedro Martinez– He threw well in Port St. Lucie last night. But the question becomes: what roster move do they make next week to get him off the disabled list? There’s plenty of speculation like sending Mike Pelfrey down to get himself together. There’s also speculation that the Mets may keep both Claudio Vargas and Mike Pelfrey on the roster and make one of them a long man. I suspect that would leave Joe Smith as the odd man out in the bullpen with a one way ticket to New Orleans.
  • Marlon Anderson– His leg injury has the Mets considering making a play for Scott Hatteberg to be a lefty off the bench who can play first base. Read Marty Noble’s column for MLB.com. It’s a bad idea in my opinion. Hatteberg complained about coming off the bench and didn’t hit well in that role. I would consider Hatteberg if the Mets were looking to get Delgado off the roster whether via trade or release.
  • Moises Alou– His calf injury is progressing well and it looks like he’ll be off the disabled list on schedule next week. That’ll send Nick Evans back to Binghamton most likely, possibly New Orleans.

Martinez Rehab Start Tonight

St. Lucie Mets

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re in the Port St. Lucie, FL area tonight you should head over to Tradition Field to check out the Vero Beach Rays vs. St. Lucie Mets game. You won’t see a much better game than this one. The Rays top pick in last year’s draft David Price is pitching against Pedro Martinez.

There aren’t many Class A games with pitching matchup’s like that. I wish I was there for this game. It’s the old (Pedro) against the new highly touted prospect (Price).

Pedro has already told the Mets that he feels ready to pitch at the Major League level. But tonight will be a good test for him. I’d like to see him have some level of success tonight before making a start next week in San Francisco.

Church May Go On Disabled List

The New York Post is reporting that Ryan Church is still suffering from the effects of a concussion sustained in Atlanta last week. Church saw a neurologist and the Mets sent him home today to rest prior to the game. He was told by the doctor to rest and stay away from light.

That would be a huge blow to the Mets. Church has carried the Mets offensively for the first two months of the season.

Read the full story here.

Pedro To Start June 3

The Mets are planning to start injured star pitcher Pedro Martinez on June 3 in San Francisco. He’ll make one start for the St. Lucie Mets before joining the team on their road trip next week.

The Mets will have to make a decision about keeping Mike Pelfrey or Claudio Vargas in the rotation, and on the team, at that point. Vargas threw a stinker in Atlanta last week but his other two starts have been solid. He looks to be more consistent than Pelfrey.

Vargas could opt to become a free agent if the Mets designate him for assignment. It’s not a huge loss, but something to consider when making a decision.

My opinion is that Pelfrey needs some time in the minors to perfect his game. He’s got good stuff but isn’t consistent enough. He’s hurting the team.