Mets' Injuries Leave Everyone Puzzled

WASHINGTON -- Forget their neighbors in the Bronx, there is no better soap opera in the major leagues right now than the New York Mets.

The Mets' latest chapter of intrigue (or sorrow, if you're feeling especially gloomy) has nothing to do with a rickety bullpen or a crushing September collapse. Instead, it revolves around a vicious injury bug that has already bitten first baseman Carlos Delgado and whose latest victims include shortstop Jose Reyes and setup man J.J. Putz.

"You always build a team with depth in mind, and now that's going to be a challenge for us," New York manager Jerry Manuel said.

More Coverage: Fantasy Impact of Reyes' Injury

Reyes, already on the disabled list retroactive to May 21 with tendinitis in his right calf, was diagnosed with a "small tear" in his right hamstring Thursday after he tweaked it in an extended spring training game Wednesday and an MRI revealed the injury.

The All-Star shortstop, who was eligible to come off of the DL Friday night, has now been shut down from all baseball activities for 48 hours, after which he'll begin light rehab, Mets general manager Omar Minaya said.

There is no timetable for his return, but Minaya seemed confident that his team can make do indefinitely with reserve infielder Alex Cora playing full-time at short.

"In past years, one of my biggest fears was if Jose Reyes goes down, do we have a guy who can play three weeks, a month? I'm confident Alex Cora can play a month," he said.

Joining Reyes for an extended stay on the shelf is Putz, who will have surgery to remove a bone spur early next week and could miss close to three months as he recovers.

Putz was not as dominant in New York as he was with Seattle last season, but his injury leaves the Mets thinner in relief than they hoped they would be when they acquired him at the Winter Meetings last December.

"He did a decent job, but it wasn't the lights out eighth inning we thought we would get," Manuel said.

Latest Baseball Images

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki walks to the dugout after he struck out in the 10th inning against the Minnesota Twins, ending his 27-game hitting streak, Friday, June 5, 2009, in a MLB baseball game at Safeco Field in Seattle. The Twins beat the Mariners 2-1 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki looks at his bat after he struck out in the 10th inning against the Minnesota Twins, ending his 27-game hitting streak, Friday, June 5, 2009, in an MLB baseball game at Safeco Field in Seattle. The Twins beat the Mariners 2-1 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki strikes out swinging in the 10th inning against the Minnesota Twins, ending his 27-game hitting streak, Friday, June 5, 2009, in a MLB baseball game at Safeco Field in Seattle. The Twins beat the Mariners 2-1 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Andre Ethier hits a game-wining RBI single during the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, June 5, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Minnesota Twins' Matt Tolbert in the 10th inning of an MLB baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, June 5, 2009, at Safeco Field in Seattle. Tolbert reached second base on a fielding error by Mariners' Wladimir Balentien, and Twins' Justin Morneau scored on the play, giving the Twins a 2-1 win over the Mariners in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Andre Ethier, below, celebrates with teammates after hitting a game-wining RBI single during the ninth inning of their Major League Baseball game, Friday, June 5, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre runs down Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer for an out as Mauer tries to steal home in the 10th inning of a MLB baseball game Friday, June 5, 2009, at Safeco Field in Seattle. The Twins beat the Mariners 2-1 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle Mariners left fielder Wladimir Balentien chases a ball hit by Minnesota Twins' Matt Tolbert in the 10th inning of a MLB baseball game, Friday, June 5, 2009, at Safeco Field in Seattle. Tolbert reached second base on Balentien's fielding error and Twins' Justin Morneau scored on the play, giving the Twins a 2-1 win over the Mariners in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Andre Ethier, right, celebrates with teammates after hitting a game-wining RBI single during the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball game, Friday, June 5, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

ATLANTA - JUNE 5: Yunel Escobar #19 of the Atlanta Braves turns a double play against Jason Kendall #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers at Turner Field on June 5, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Yunel Escobar;Jason Kendall

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Bobby Parnell, who has a 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 innings this season, is expected to slide into the setup role for Manuel.

But even if Parnell excels in his new role, Reyes makes a speedy recovery and Putz returns in late August and puts up zeroes, it will probably do little to lower the frustration level of Mets fans.

Why? Because the Mets' injury woes appear to be at least partially self-inflicted. In the cases of Delgado, and now Reyes and Putz, the team treated each player's injury as day-to-day initially – even going so far as to play short-handed to avoid using the disabled list in some cases – but all three players have now ended up missing significant chunks of time.

Perhaps it's all bad luck, but from the outside looking in it sure seems like the Mets are doing something wrong in the trainer's room and then paying the consequences for it.

"My understanding is that the condition got worse in the last couple weeks," Minaya said of Putz's injury, stressing that many pitchers can throw effectively with a bone spur. "Sometimes they get a [cortisone] shot and get better, sometimes they don't."

The party line on Reyes is similar: "Where before he didn't have [a small tear], the MRI now revealed it."

But when injuries repeatedly go from minor to major, you have to start wondering – wondering about the training staff or wondering about whether the Mets' philosophy, as an organization, for dealing with injuries.

"We count on our medical staff," Minaya said. "They have experience in these areas and I have full confidence in them.

"Whenever a guy is banged up, there's no guarantee a guy is gonna get better. ... Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

So why doesn't it ever seem to work for the Mets?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-05-2009 @ 7:56PM

cohara1950 said...

This just might be the end for me. I've disenchanted with professional sports for a long time but to try to root for this Mickey Mouse club from the Wilpons to Minaya(who should have gotten the boot after doing nothing about the bullpen for 2 years) to Jerry Manuel. To think Alex Cora can replace Reyes without any noticeable difference shows you his incompetence. Not getting any help at first when DelGado went down. The forcing of Daniel Murphy to humiliate himself in left field. Not getting a caliber player like Nate McClouth. It's all just too much.

6-05-2009 @ 9:53PM

vehisale said...

Ha Ha...Phillies 4 games ahead as of tonight.

6-05-2009 @ 11:01PM

foxr1234 said...

One of the most disturbing aspects of this scenario is that the mets management and their medical staff have operated on the short side in their philosophy of injured "core" guys, Del Gado, Reyes and Putz taking a wait and see approach rather than up triaging their injuries.

One would think that on the surface of things, they would such up triage with their core players to take the long view with the mets investments both financially and the team health dynamics. Especially in light of their obvious and noted reaches with other position players, murphy et al.

Whether the Madoff scandal, has deeply impaired the Mets financial resources is yet to be seen, not to mention the mets ownership's complete misreading of the market for high ticket prices in our economic downturn.

Gun to my head and based on the Mets head office previous behavior, they are done, over with, and WILL NOT make player acquisitions to compensate for their personnel losses.

One last interesting observation is that of the philosophy of Carlos Del Gado, who, without the benefit of contract security, refuses to play the game about speculation of his return. Over his career for the most part he has been consistently disciplined about his approach to the game.

Without a contract for nest year, ask yourself would you put your future income in peril and return to play in a diminished capacity without some sort of assurances from your employer? I think not.

It will be interesting to watch this play out........................Have a great weekend!

6-06-2009 @ 12:04AM

jmsulli said...

remember back when Ty Cobb was stabbed on the way to the ballpark and played a doubleheader before he went to the hospital? REMEMBER WHEN STARTING PITCHERS PITCHED 9 INNINGS? today's wimps cant play doubleheaders, need a month off when they get a cramp. Remember Michael Strahan missing half the season cause he hurt his nipple?

6-06-2009 @ 12:57AM

MIKE said...

good for them the mets suck anywsy phillies coming to kick they ass in a few days GO PHILLIES

6-06-2009 @ 3:13AM

Murray said...

All of this just makes Willie Randolph smile and be glad that he flew to the west coast last season so the Mets could act like buffoons and fire him. The "LOW CLASS" organization just shows that being a "YANKEE FAN" is still the way to go in New York. The Mets and their fans will always be second class.

6-06-2009 @ 8:24AM

evillyndana1 said...

Go Phillies

6-06-2009 @ 9:03AM

Leon said...

As long as Torri Hunter of the Angels and Santanna with the Mets don't get to the World Series I don't care. They erked the fans in Minnesota who loved them and paid them millions only to have them say it wasn't good enough and pull out.

6-06-2009 @ 12:41PM

Tom U R The Best said...

It's time for the Randolph(all ready gone)/Manuel/Minaya era to come to an end. What a waste of a decade. RIP

6-06-2009 @ 1:44PM

jyntsfan said...

Had the Mets gotten appropriate value for Ramon Castro, instead of just dumping a very serviceable catcher for nothing, they'd have more reserves to go to. Minaya should have gotten a veteran middle-reliever for Castro. But apparently Manuel didn't like Castro, or so the rumor goes.

6-06-2009 @ 2:46PM

oldcarmama said...

Perhaps it's more of a training issue than anything else. They ought to look at their training staff. And get some real pitching. And some real hitting. Castro is gone, but what did they get in exchange? Putz (pronounce it as you see it) is gone for the rest of the season (not a tragedy as far as I'm concerned). They don't score runs for Santana. Pelfrey had a total meltdown the other night - against PITTSBURGH! Come on, guys, I know it's Pennsylvania, but these aren't the Phillies! Delgado is gone, Reyes will be out for a month. Daniel Murphy is a good kid but Keith Hernandez, he ain't. I wonder what Jerry Manuel is thinking sometimes. Maybe he needs a radical rectal craniectomy.

6-06-2009 @ 5:51PM

bobfmlco said...

Interesting to note that the media, including AOL, continually talk of the NY teams as well as other big city locations. What about the Rays that have 8 regulars out of the lineup with injuries. Today, June 6, the Ray had subs in at 2nd, SS, 3rd, RF and DH. Guess what, Madden didn't cry or make excuses, they just went out and beat the Yankees 9 to 7.