Stop The Press! Moises Alou Is Back on the Disabled List

Like the kid at the mall who won't stay off the escalator, Moises Alou and the baseball diamond are a match destined to end up in pain and suffering. The Mets outfielder is back on the disabled list after straining his left calf during the Mets loss to the Braves on Wednesday night.

It's the 17th stint on the DL for Alou in his 18 big-league seasons. There's no truth to the rumor that it was a stiff breeze that caused the injury. The reason, according to Alou, is much more prosaic. Compensating for one of his other injuries, a sprained ankle not his hernia if you're wondering, caused the calf strain.

There's no easy replacement for Alou in the lineup. While the Mets get Ryan Church back tonight from his head injury, their only other outfield options are Marlon Anderson and Endy Chavez. Each is best suited to a bench role and the AAA pantry could only offer third-string catcher Raul Casanova to fill Alou's roster spot.

Making matters worse, the Johan Santana trade gutted most of their high-level prospects which will make a trade for quality reinforcement quite difficult for Omar Minaya. Even if Alou isn't out for long, not the safest bet at the dog track, the team could still use another righty bat to balance their outfield options. It's not raining for the Mets right now, it's a downpour.