Category: Pitching

Mets Nieve To Start; Switzer Called Up

NEW YORK - MAY 15: John Maine #33 of the New ...
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The Mets have decided to start Fernando Nieve in John Maine’s place against the Yankees tomorrow. He’s been with the Mets for about a week and he had been starting at Triple-A Buffalo. He started four games at Buffalo going 3-0 with a 3.70 ERA and .205 BAA.

Jon Switzer is getting the call up to replace Maine on the roster. He’s been doing well as a reliever at Buffalo. He’s pitched in 21 games out of the bullpen going 0-2 with a 2.13 ERA and .219 BAA. He’s a lefty that has a .186 BAA versus lefty hitters.

It’s more of a patchwork for the Mets roster and it’s really a dangerous situation when the starting pitchers are involved. At this point, the Mets really just need to hang on until some players come off the disabled list. If they can play .500 baseball until Jose Reyes and a few others come back there still should be plenty of time in the season to stay in playoff contention.

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Mets Putz Out 8-10 Weeks

NEW YORK - JUNE 01: Carlos Delgado #21 and Ry...
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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.

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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.

Mets K-Rod In Boston Hospital

Francisco RodriguezBefore last night’s game Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was taken by ambulance to a Boston hospital. According to several media reports, he was running before the game when his back tightened up. He was worked on by a chiropractor in the visitors locker room and the situation became worse.

Several beat reporters wrote that K-Rod collapsed in the locker room and started crying. He was shielded from reporters and an ambulance was called.

J.J. Putz closed out the game against the Red Sox. We haven’t heard what the long-term situation is yet. But it doesn’t look good.

The only good news is that the Mets have Putz, an experienced closer. Unlike last season when Billy Wagner was lost for the season with an elbow injury, the Mets do have some good arms in the bullpen. The season isn’t totally lost because the closer is unavailable for some period of time.

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Redding On Roster, Figueroa Out

PORT ST LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Pitcher Nels...
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Tim Redding was added to the 25-man roster today in preparation for his first start of the season and as a Met. Nelson Figueroa was designated for assignment to make room for Redding. Figueroa was on the roster for five games but never made an appearance.

If you recall, last month Figueroa was designated for assignment and refused an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo. He became a free agent for a brief time before re-signing with the Mets and reporting to Buffalo. We’ll see if he accepts the assignment this time around. I suspect that he will.

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Mets Option Niese To Minors; Recall Figueroa

PORT ST LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Pitcher Nels...
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Jonathan Niese was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo after a poor start against the Braves yesterday. Nelson Figueroa was recalled from Buffalo to take his place on the roster. Figueroa wasn’t on the Mets 40-man roster so they had to make a move to get Figueroa on the major league roster for the west coast road trip this week.

This spot in the rotation will come up again on Monday in Los Angeles. The reports from the minors are that Tim Redding is ready to join the Mets from the disabled list. So Figueroa might have another short stay in the majors.

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Report: Casey Fossum Signs With Yankees

It looks like Casey Fossum will be joining the New York Yankees on a minor league deal. He was designated for assignment, effectively cut, by the Mets after pitching against the Nationals on April 27, 2009. Ken Takahashi was called up by the Mets to replace Fossum on the major league roster. Takahashi has yet to appear in a game for the Mets.

The Times-Tribune of Scranton, PA reports that Fossum will start for the Yankees Triple-A Scranton team today. Thanks to MLB Trade Rumors for the link.
MLB: APR 26 Nationals at Metshttp://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js

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