I would like to introduce our new team doctor..Bugs Bunny
Nelson Figueroa came in and shut down St. Louis for 4 1-3 innings, boosting the offense with a two-run triple in a 9-0 victory Wednesday over the Cardinals.
The injury bug strikes again!
Second baseman Luis Castillo missed the game, a day after spraining his left ankle when he slipped and fell in the dugout. Left fielder Gary Sheffield, just off the disabled list last weekend, aggravated a hamstring injury while running after a sixth-inning single and came out of the game. Jonathon Niese wound up doing the splits while trying to cover first base, went to the mound to throw a practice pitch and collapsed in pain from his hamstring. Another game, another injury for the New York Mets.
And the pitch..
Nelson Figueroa (1-2) made a spot start against Arizona on Monday, lasted just 1 2-3 innings and allowed six runs and 10 hits. He wondered whether he’d be sent back to the minors but was kept for long relief. He gave up four hits, struck out five and walked none in his first major league win since Sept. 1 at Milwaukee. Bobby Parnell pitched three innings to complete the six-hitter and earn his first career save.
ITS OUTTA HEA...
Angel Pagan singled, had a two-run triple and hit his second homer in four games, driving in four runs, and Wright hit an opposite-field, two-run homer in the first. New York took a 5-0 lead in two innings against Kyle Lohse, finished with 15 hits and won for just the second time in seven games.
Dont throw at my boys head
Cardinals reliever Brad Thompson threw a pitch near the head of Wright in the sixth, prompting plate umpire Bill Miller to warn both dugouts. An inning earlier, Figueroa loaded the bases when he hit Cardinals star Albert Pujols near the right elbow. “You understand it’s part of the game but, you know, you do it the right way,†Wright said. “You hit a guy in the butt, you hit a guy in the back.†Thompson maintained it wasn’t intentional. “I certainly wasn’t throwing at him, just trying to back him off the plate,†he said. Still, Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur was angry. “You start throwing at a guy’s head, you mess his career up,†he said. “I thought that was pretty bush.â€
Mets Fans...
Im sure the picture above speaks for itself…
Thanks to Yahoo for the recap
UPDATE: Official statements from the Mets on Reyes and Niese. It’s not good so if you have just had dinner, wait!
71 comments
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-7:17pm at 7:17 pm (UTC -4)
Pagan has been nothing short of terrific since returning from his injury. I know it will never happen, but I’d prefer seeing him start next year to Jeff Francoeur. (Of course Pagan has quite the injury history, so it may be a moot point).
trs86
8/5/2009-7:21pm at 7:21 pm (UTC -4)
I like Pagan but he is really a 4th OF. Frenchy does give us a power threat.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-7:44pm at 7:44 pm (UTC -4)
Since joining the Mets and Pagan’s return Pagan has a higher SLG %: .553 to .459
While I agree that Pagan is a fourth outfielder, I also believe Francoeur is a fourth outfielder.
gipperpdx
8/5/2009-7:18pm at 7:18 pm (UTC -4)
Th…Th…Th…That’s All Folks!
metsfan4decades
8/5/2009-7:29pm at 7:29 pm (UTC -4)
Ha! Very clever…
You just have to wonder if bugs bunny could do just as well as Met trainers, doctors, specialists. Way, way too many injuries for this to be even bad luck.
Is the infield at Citi some different substance other than just plain old fashioned dirt that’s causing problems? Is the outfield grass, really not plain old grass that’s rough on the legs/knees? I know, it’s a stretch – but you really have to wonder what’s causing all these injuries.
metfreak
8/5/2009-7:40pm at 7:40 pm (UTC -4)
Niese out for the year can we just close shop already
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-7:45pm at 7:45 pm (UTC -4)
Is he officially out for the year, just got on line a little bit ago.
metfreak
8/5/2009-7:46pm at 7:46 pm (UTC -4)
Yep he will be ready for spring training according to Rubin on twitter
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-7:48pm at 7:48 pm (UTC -4)
OMG…I’m dumbfounded. I wish we would just take anything of value off the field for the year to protect them from whatever is going on. Are our trainers not doing a good job teaching prep work and conditioning? This is bizarre.
trs86
8/5/2009-7:50pm at 7:50 pm (UTC -4)
At least it’s not JUST the Mets:
Erik Bedard’s rehab has been shut down indefinitely as he experienced more pain in his shoulder, says Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times, which effectively ends any trade value he might’ve had for the Mariners.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-7:53pm at 7:53 pm (UTC -4)
Typical Bedard. It’s too bad, that guy is talented. It reminds me of a slightly less drastic case of Mark Prior.
dirtysanchez
8/5/2009-7:54pm at 7:54 pm (UTC -4)
yea but cmon…that pales in comparison
trs86
8/5/2009-7:57pm at 7:57 pm (UTC -4)
No doubt, but I was beginning to think we were the ONLY ones to have any injuries. We lost 3 today and one was not even back yet.
dirtysanchez
8/5/2009-8:02pm at 8:02 pm (UTC -4)
lol we lost 3 in a matter of hours…
metsfan4decades
8/5/2009-7:58pm at 7:58 pm (UTC -4)
Interesting…
You know, with pitchers, arm/shoulder injuries and/or surgeries, I would think that’s trickier when it comes to rehab, how it’s going to feel, how long it’s going to take to get strength back, etc.
But all these leg injuries? Hamstrings, knees, whatever? I just don’t get it. Nieve goes down just running to first base. Niese goes down stretching out trying to grab a throw at first base. Reyes, well we don’t even know what caused all his problems. These are young guys, not in the 37 year old range of Delgado who already had a nagging hip problem.
I haven’t looked but I have to assume the Mets win the prize this season for the most amount of guys on the DL, for the most amount of time.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-7:58pm at 7:58 pm (UTC -4)
Here’s the way I see next year with our injury woes:
Maine – May be in real trouble. Will he ever return to the first half of 2007 Maine?
Beltran – We all know of the reports of microfracture surgery that could have him out for the year. I think those are a bit of an overreaction, but I’d have to say there’s a real concern there.
Reyes – Speed Demon who hadn’t even learned to be a good baserunner yet. Anyone who watched the Mets for an extended period of time with Reyes knows that he was never the best on the basepaths, but he was so fast it made up for some of his miscues. Now his speed may be in danger. Will he ever be the guy we thought he could be?
The rest may not matter. Delgado probably won’t be a part of the team. Wagner and Putz certainly won’t be.
This could honestly be the beginning of the early 90′s all over again.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:02pm at 8:02 pm (UTC -4)
Maine can’t be counted on any more than to be competing with Niese for #5. We have to have another starter.
Beltran I think will be fine but who the hell knows?
Reyes I move from the lead off spot for at least a year, moving him to 3rd and Beltran and Wright 4th and 5th.
Delgado, Wagner and Putz what stinks with them is we can’t even get picks. Too dangerous to offer arbitration.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:27pm at 8:27 pm (UTC -4)
That’s just our luck. Hopefully Delgado and Wagner will come back and have great Septembers, but I don’t even know if we could risk arbitration even then.
saltygary
8/5/2009-8:25pm at 8:25 pm (UTC -4)
I really don’t feel like cheering for players like Joe Orsulak again.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:29pm at 8:29 pm (UTC -4)
I totally agree. It’s tough though. What do we do for:
1B
LF
2 SP
5 SP
LOOGY
?
The FA options are minimal this coming offseason. trs points out Lackey, but that might be the only bright spot.
Pineiro? I guess we could, but he might be another Perez-like contract.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:34pm at 8:34 pm (UTC -4)
Oops, forgot
C
trs86
8/5/2009-8:52pm at 8:52 pm (UTC -4)
Not sure we need ALL of those. We could get by with Murphy and Niese/Livan/Maine for number 5. We for sure need LF, 2SP, Catcher, Setup, Loogy
saltygary
8/5/2009-9:20pm at 9:20 pm (UTC -4)
I think it’s one or the other on 1b or OF. There is a good amount of money coming off the books, but I would rather have them push as much as they can towards one position as opposed to splitting it against both. Love to see a guy like AGon but probably a long shot. For catcher, I don’t really think it matters that is the easiest position to throw a scrub at without dealing with repercussions.
Lackey has been great and if the medical reports pan out he probably should be the #1 priority.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-8:42pm at 8:42 pm (UTC -4)
Speaking of speedy guys who are bad baserunners, let’s be sure to include your mancrush Angel Pagan in that group. The guy has been hitting great & fielding great, no doubt, but he’s somewhere between lost and a disaster going from 1st to 3rd and from 2nd to home. Can’t seem to judge batted balls and get a jump at all. Cost the team 2 or 3 runs this week.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-9:01pm at 9:01 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed, Pagan is not the best baserunner. But he’s been so stellar at the plate and defensively I’m willing to overlook that (at this point).
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:03pm at 9:03 pm (UTC -4)
That’s fair, if only because I’m willing to overlook Frenchy’s .280 OBP because of his 162 RBI pace.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
LOL, we overlook different things, but it’s a wash.
metsfan4decades
8/5/2009-8:01pm at 8:01 pm (UTC -4)
Jon Niese is out for the season. Here’s the Mets statement:
“Jonathon Niese has been admitted to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. An MRI this afternoon revealed a complete tear of the right upper hamstring tendon from the bone. He will undergo surgery for its repair. Niese is out for the remainder of the season and is expected to be ready for Spring Training.”
trs86
8/5/2009-8:02pm at 8:02 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I threw that link in at the bottom. Not good.
metsfan4decades
8/5/2009-8:04pm at 8:04 pm (UTC -4)
Opps, didn’t see the link before I commented.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:07pm at 8:07 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I snuck up on you like a wabbitt.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-8:43pm at 8:43 pm (UTC -4)
Wascally.
metsfan4decades
8/5/2009-8:03pm at 8:03 pm (UTC -4)
And Reyes:
“Jose Reyes was seen today by Mets Team Physician Dr. Struan Coleman at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
The MRI showed significant scar tissue and inflammation behind the right knee, related to the hamstring tendon injury, which has caused continued pain. Reyes will remain in New York for manual physical therapy in an effort to break up the scar tissue and reduce the inflammation.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:05pm at 8:05 pm (UTC -4)
By the way, my crushes Pena and Crawford both go deep.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:06pm at 8:06 pm (UTC -4)
Run this by our local experts. Would you guys trade a package centered around Pelfrey for Fielder?
metsfan4decades
8/5/2009-8:13pm at 8:13 pm (UTC -4)
wow, tough one. I guess it depends on who is replacing Pelf in the rotation.
If I had to decide now though, I’d say yes. I’d love to have Fielder patrolling first. We’d lose Murphy though too b/c I really don’t think there is any other position available to him. Maybe they could work with him again at second…
trs86
8/5/2009-8:15pm at 8:15 pm (UTC -4)
I was thinking he would go in the trade.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:18pm at 8:18 pm (UTC -4)
It’s really hard for me because it basically takes Delagdo’s salary. We would have to then sign Lackey and that would take up 22 million total. I guess the rotation would then be
Johan, Lackey, ?, Perez, Niese so we would still need another starter unless you are trusting Maine but that would not be a good rotation. At least we would have a 1B, it would obviously have to include a negotiation window.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:25pm at 8:25 pm (UTC -4)
I like the trade, but I don’t think we are going to find 2 solid starters. Lackey is great, but comes with some injury concern. I have no clue who you could slate for #3.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:50pm at 8:50 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I agree. So it’s do we sacrifice not having a HR threat or do we sacrifice one spot in the rotation. Hard decision.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-8:52pm at 8:52 pm (UTC -4)
Counting on Niese for anything is hard to do. Yes initial report says spring training, but who knows (his injury reminds me of a radio commercial for an NYC steakhouse in which the tagline is “the meat falls off the bone”).
I have a hard time contemplating trading a major league pitcher right now, just as hard a time as I do imagining any viable free agent signing here this winter. I would want someone else to be the guinea pig going to this shambles of a franchise. If the best thing I can say when considering going to the Mets is “what are the chances it will happen again?” then I don’t want to go there.
And the “it” in that question can unfortunately be any number of things: injuries, strange front office behavior, owner huge financial losses, strange power droughts, and on and on…
trs86
8/5/2009-8:54pm at 8:54 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed, but I am trying to think creative because I think we will HAVE to be.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:01pm at 9:01 pm (UTC -4)
You’ve been doing tons of interesting creative roster thinking since before this blog even, but all I’m saying is if that creative thinking, in part, includes “sign John Lackey” I just doubt he’d want to come to this mess (caveat: unless blown away financially).
So all the other stuff, trade this for that, will I agree be absolutely necessary. But after the way this season has unfolded I just find it really hard to imagine “sign 1 or 2 of the top tier FAs” as being a working part of the equation.
I envision the team picking at leftovers this off season, and perhaps only being spared from having to overpay even for leftovers due to the economy.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-9:09pm at 9:09 pm (UTC -4)
You may be right Hebner, but there are a lot of positives to this team. Some of the players are first class. If you clean the organization up you can change potential FA’s minds.
Being creative again, what if you move past the Minaya era and remove Manuel for Valentine.
Do these things early and have Valentine make statements about what he expects from management, etc?
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:14pm at 9:14 pm (UTC -4)
I’d love that. I do in my gut believe Omar will be relieved of duties shortly after the season ends.
I don’t in my gut believe the Wilpons will swallow and bring Bobby V. back.
But even without him specifically, I agree with your general suggested course of action 100%.
Set a tone early, emphatically, and get to work with a plan.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:33pm at 8:33 pm (UTC -4)
How much money total is coming off the books with:
Delgado
Wagner
Schneider
Putz
Anyone else I’m forgetting right now.
Little tied up looking at some other things, will look myself if no one has all the numbers at hand.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:47pm at 8:47 pm (UTC -4)
$32.4 mil minus $2 mil in buyouts.
trs86
8/5/2009-8:51pm at 8:51 pm (UTC -4)
Last I counted, not giving Maine and a couple other arbi’s that I was unsure on we have about 35.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-8:40pm at 8:40 pm (UTC -4)
Excellent work Dirty!
dirtysanchez
8/5/2009-9:27pm at 9:27 pm (UTC -4)
lol thanks!
Ive taken some notes from you bro…the master at this lol
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:53pm at 8:53 pm (UTC -4)
Okay, so what do you do with $30 mil/yr?
Lackey seems like a must for the Mets (of course so did Burnett or Lowe and that didn’t happen), but say you get Lackey for $12-13 mil per. Then you have $17-18 left to spend. What do you get?
TRS suggests Fielder, very creative. $10.5 mil.
Many have suggested Omar covets Molina, he’ll cost at least $6 or $7.
If we did all this (including TRS’s Pelfrey trade) we’d have about a million to spend on LF, another starter, and a LOOGY.
Yikes.
Thoughts?
Of course this all depends on the Wilpons willingness to keep the payroll where it is.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-8:55pm at 8:55 pm (UTC -4)
Okay TRS throws in another $5 mil from other sources. Not quite as daunting. I have to think LF is expensive though. Unless you’re willing to try Pagan-Beltran-Francoeur. That could work if you pull off a Fielder type trade for first.
trs86
8/5/2009-9:48pm at 9:48 pm (UTC -4)
I would think if you got Fielder then you don’t get Molina.
Then you would go with Pagan in LF waiting on Fmart
Reyes, Castillo, Beltran, Fielder, Wright, Frenchy, Pagan, Santos/other young catcher.
sabermetrician
8/5/2009-9:04pm at 9:04 pm (UTC -4)
It’s making me feel ill thinking of all the holes this team has for NEXT year. I’m not sure we’re going to be good for quite some time.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:19pm at 9:19 pm (UTC -4)
I’m sort of already looking forward to 2011. By then if any of the prospects the Mets have are going to be viable ML players, they will be beginning to make their presences felt.
Clearly not all of them are going to make it, but if a couple of FMart, Thole, Davis, Duda, Holt, Mejia, Tejada are going to be useful, their tenures should be roughly starting then.
But 2010? No one except Niese seems on the cusp, and now he’s got one leg for months. Which brings us back to the roster creativity discussion…
fongy2
8/5/2009-9:51pm at 9:51 pm (UTC -4)
2011?…2011?!….
God help me!….
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:55pm at 9:55 pm (UTC -4)
If we were Pirate fans we could’ve said “2011″ to each other in 1993. When I remind myself of that I don’t feel so bad.
njstuckintx
8/5/2009-9:38pm at 9:38 pm (UTC -4)
With all the holes and the few pieces to fill in next year, I’m almost for putting an offer to delgado. If memory serves, you can offer up to 20% less of their current contract. Not that it’s a good thing, but it’s a 1 year patch until better 1B options open up. +, if anyone bites on it, there are the picks.
As for outfield, I’d love Pagan to be that LF guy, but I can’t see him being anything more than a 4th outfielder.
The pitching and the catcher worry me most, of a long line of worries….
fongy2
8/5/2009-9:44pm at 9:44 pm (UTC -4)
A Catcher can be had w/o breaking the bank,
forget Delgado…
although I’m a big fan and supporter,that ship
has sailed.Pagan IS a
4th or 5th OFer,IF he
can stay healthy.
For the 4th straight
off season,we need a
healthy bat for LeftField!
steveo
8/5/2009-9:27pm at 9:27 pm (UTC -4)
I think the mistake you all are making is assuming that the mets are going to keep the payroll at 135 mil. I seem to think that they are going to try and keep it at down around 115 million its the trend in all of baseball this year and next
fongy2
8/5/2009-9:39pm at 9:39 pm (UTC -4)
agreed! Little chance with the state of the economy and
the Madoff effect on the Wilpons that the payroll is
135/140 mil next season.
Hopefullt with a new,unbiased
GM the expiring contracts and
maybe Castillos will be gone
and the new guy can creatively retool!
trs86
8/5/2009-9:49pm at 9:49 pm (UTC -4)
So what do you guys think the chances of getting Martin from the Dodgers? He was semiavailable last year.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:52pm at 9:52 pm (UTC -4)
I will leave the creativity on that possibility to you. I am not great at thinking up working trade proposals anyway, but especially not when the team I’m trying to match up with is as stacked as the Dodgers are. I just don’t see the obvious hole there to propose we send “blank” to them because they need a “blank.”
fongy2
8/5/2009-9:54pm at 9:54 pm (UTC -4)
He was also available a week ago,atleast according to almost every souce I read.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-9:50pm at 9:50 pm (UTC -4)
As far as filling the C spot going forward, I read an interesting thought that Josh Thole will likely be a Sept. call up this year because based on the year he was drafted he will have to be put on the 40 man roster anyway to protect him from the rule 5 draft. So we should begin to be able to get a look at him at this level in a few weeks.
fongy2
8/5/2009-9:53pm at 9:53 pm (UTC -4)
Saw him in person lastnight and will again tomorrow.
He’s not a finished product behind the plate,AND THAT is
the most important place a
Catcher helps his team.
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-10:00pm at 10:00 pm (UTC -4)
Agreed on the defense.
Simply noting he, of all the touted names we hear and read about (and if we are as lucky as you, actually see) is more likely to get a chance to show what he’s got in the majors next month.
The other guys all have good reasons why they won’t be up (free agency, arbitration, rule 5, so on).
GravediggerHebner
8/5/2009-10:59pm at 10:59 pm (UTC -4)
Those of you who read MLBTR regularly likely already saw this, but I was just catching up on some reading and read:
“One AL executive pointed out that the Mets, who are the only team with one of the eight highest payrolls in baseball not currently in a playoff spot, are the only one of baseball’s top-spending teams that closely follows the commissioner’s recommendations on signing draft picks. Another official believes the teams with the worst systems are often the ones that don’t spend over-slot.”
So really no good reason to hope for the Mets to finish poorly to “get the high draft pick” as they’ll just waste it anyway. That’s an ownership thing. So even if we get a new GM and coaching staff, this is unlikely to change, unless those people make a really good case to the Wilpons as to why they should ignore their friend Selig’s stance on this.
gipperpdx
8/5/2009-11:17pm at 11:17 pm (UTC -4)
How do Ray Ramirez and the rest of the Mets training and medical staff still have jobs???
fongy2
8/5/2009-11:59pm at 11:59 pm (UTC -4)
My friend, THAT…RIGHT THERE
is the friggin’question of
The YEAR!…….Thank You!
If it means “rebuilding”
for a year…well then so
be it. And this from the King
of the Win Now Crew! BUT…
Omar MUST GO! If it means
eating his contract,then again
so be it! If it means letting
go ALL those whos contracts are up,once again…so be it!
AND if it means adding NO
salary next year, so be it.
AGAIN,Omar Must Go!
He cannot be allowed to make
any more personel decisions
of any kind, in any department.
This should be done the hour
the season ends.
We can live through a .500,
phoney Wild Card contender
of a season IF it meant new
mgmt. spent that season
getting familiar with the entire org. and then put us
in place to really contend
for a few years.
THIS!……Must End.
darknova306
8/6/2009-6:30am at 6:30 am (UTC -4)
That’s something I’ve advocated at times this year, Fongy. We’re in complete agreement. The sad thing is that this will only happen if the Wimpons sell the team, and that’s not happening. They believe we can ‘win now’ with what we’ve got, which is a joke. I seriously hope we tank enough to get protect draft picks, cause we don’t need to lose out on the first round yet again just to bring in a high priced FA that only fills one hole while we neglect the rest of them.
Sad realization is that this organization will continue to be a joke for years to come.