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April 8, 2008 Mets Injuries Joe Janish

Injury Updates

So much for his knees feeling great … Luis Castillo was removed from the game in the fifth inning and replaced by Damion Easley because his knee felt “sore”. Swell.

Matt Wise was placed on the 15-day DL with an elbow contusion, and was replaced on the roster by Carlos Muniz. Strange move. As astute and loyal MetsToday reader “isuzudude” pointed out, a much better option, particularly with the 3-game series against the Phillies, would have been veteran LHP Ricardo Rincon.

We know that Willie Randolph will not use Carlos Muniz in any important situation … behind by three in the ninth inning vs. the Phillies was about the most critical spot Muniz will see. On the other hand, Willie would be quick to use a veteran such as Rincon, and Rincon’s lefthandedness would be especially useful against the lefty-heavy Philly lineup.

The thinking, we guess, is that the Mets preferred Muniz because he was already on the 40-man roster (and has options) while Rincon is not. However, the Mets currently have only 37 players on the 40-man, with at least one of them (Ambiorix Burgos) soon to be moved to the 60-day DL and therefore not counting against the 40 spots.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that the move has something to do with the options rules (which I still don’t understand). Perhaps if Rincon is brought up, he’d have to pass through waivers before being sent down again?

However, none of this should matter if indeed there is a problem with Pedro Feliciano, as the SNY broadcast team guessed and the rest of us wonder after watching Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman get roughed up by Phillies. But then, perhaps Rincon has some kind of injury as well.

**** UPDATE *****


Pedro Feliciano was unavailable because he arrived to the ballpark late. According to Adam Rubin, Feliciano was returning from Puerto Rico:

Pedro Feliciano was unavailable because he arrived at the ballpark in the seventh inning. Feliciano had permission from the Mets to go home to Puerto Rico for a family issue after Sunday’s game in Atlanta. His 6 a.m. flight from San Juan to JFK was cancelled, and he had to be re-routed through Orlando. Mets security picked him up at the airport, but couldn’t get him to the ballpark in time to contribute.

In the same post by Rubin, he tells us that Orlando Hernandez had something of a setback in his recovery and was in NYC for an MRI. Lovely.

Hat tip to isuzudude for the link.

Jimmy Rollins left Tuesday’s game with a sprained ankle. We’ll hope he’s out until the weekend.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. isuzudude April 8, 2008 at 7:33 pm
    Here’s a lot of juicy news regarding why Feliciano was not in the game today, when we should expect to see Castillo back in the lineup, and more injury concerns with El Duque:
    http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2008/04/feliciano-arrives-late-castill.html
  2. joe April 8, 2008 at 7:52 pm
    thanks for the juice, ‘dude. i’ve updated the post!
  3. sincekindergarten April 9, 2008 at 4:31 am
    As I was stumbling around my kitchen at 1:53 AM or so this morning, trying to get a bottle ready for my daughter as my wife was changing her, I had a revelation. The ’08 Mets are 2-4. I seem to remember that a team in our division started what, 4-13 last year? And we all know how that one ended up.

    What does that mean?

    It all balances out, people. We’ll be fine. Things will come around. We might not win more than 91 games, but that will probably be enough to win the division.

  4. isuzudude April 9, 2008 at 8:58 am
    And an update on Sanchez: he pitched 2 innings last night for Single-A St Lucie, allowing 2 singles, 0 walks, and striking out 3. He’s up to 4 innings over 3 games thus far, with 0 walks and 6 K’s and an ERA of 4.50. The two runs he’s given up so far both came in his first appearance, when he allowed 2 solo homers. He’s probably getting closer, as it looks like he’s getting stronger, but I’d still give him at least another 4 appearances in the minors, with maybe an appearance or two at triple-A, before he returns to the Mets. That is, of course, without the obligatory “setback” occurring, which always seems to plague Mets’ players on the comeback trail. Keep the fingers crossed.
  5. Micalpalyn April 9, 2008 at 10:46 am
    Nice update:

    a). I dont want to rush Sanchez. obviously arm strength is the issue and worst case is he is rushed and Willie over uses him. I’d like to see what Muniz can do first.

    b). The next issue is castillo and his knees: We need that infielder (already) to cover Castillo. Ahern or Argennis Reyes could be appropriate. Additionally that could create an oppurtunity to see Pagan hit 2nd.

  6. sincekindergarten April 9, 2008 at 10:47 am
    No taxis for Duaner!
  7. sincekindergarten April 9, 2008 at 4:49 pm
    Mic, Pagan is in the 2 hole tonight.
  8. isuzudude April 9, 2008 at 5:25 pm
    Rumor has it that, with the news of Duque’s latest setback, the Mets are poised to sign Claudio Vargas. How he lasted this long as a free agent is a bit perplexing, but maybe he was biding his time to land on a team with the best opportunity. Well, it looks like the Mets will be a perfect fit, as I expect Vargas to pretty much be the #4/5 starter for the rest of the season (following a start or two in the minors). Even if he’s behind Johan, Pedro, Maine, Perez, and Duque on the depth chart, some combination of one or two of the preceeding is likely to be on the DL throughout the entire season, meaning Vargas is going to be getting a good 24-28 starts, as long as he doesn’t stink up the joint. I’m not thrilled about Vargas’ career WHIP numbers, but I do know he has the ability to rack up strikeouts. And he has shown the uncanny ability to win despite high ERAs, so hopefully he’ll be something of a good luck charm for the offense.

    Joe, as a request, if Vargas is indeed signed, would you mind contacting a member of the Milwaukee blogosphere and asking them their opinion on Vargas? It may be good timing, too, as the Brewers are due at Shea to play the Mets this weekend, so you can kill two birds with one stone. Thanks in advance!