Injury Updates, 2006

[Guest Rotblatt]

Since Maine started last night, pitched well (as Edgy noted) and is on the 40-man roster, he'd probably make the most sense to call up for a spot start.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Mets need themselves a Kelly Calabrese.

[duan]

I'm putting this here seeing as discussion of the potential spot starter seemed to move from the 25 man roster thread to here
.....
if a sport start is necessary and they DON'T turn it over to Heillman and promote on of the relievers that are on the 40 man roster WHAT IS THE POINT of taking up 7 roster spots with Heath Bell et al!

[Gwreck]

NY Times wrote: Heilman is clearly the best option, but the Mets do not want to tinker with the majors' best relief corps.

Whoa, are we really sure about this?

I know Heilman wants to start, and I'm sure player motivation counts for something, but I'm not entirely convinced that his history supports this claim. I know Aaron had an excellent winter and spring, but his major league performances seem to highly support that he's at his best as a reliever.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Maybe the Times should have said that he's clearly the most experienced (as a big league starter) option, at least among those not named Jose Lima.

[Guest cooby]

I love the little headline. I got this from my fantasy league news.



C. Beltran nearly came to bat

Carlos Beltran, CF NYM

News: The New York Post reports that Carlos Beltran (inflamed right hamstring) didn't start Wednesday's game at San Francisco and he missed his fifth straight game. But he was actually on deck to pinch hit for Darren Oliver in the 11th inning.

Analysis: Manager Willie Randolph said he thought about having Beltran hit but chose not to after the Mets took a two-run lead. That way the Mets don't lose days if Beltran has to go on the 15-day disabled list. Beltran's status will be checked again on Friday. "I know he's getting better," said general manager Omar Minaya. "But we'll see where he is. We're going to be conservative." The Mets are not expected to call up Lastings Milledge though, but Victor Diaz is more likely, if Beltran lands on the DL.

[duan]

but calling up Diaz isn't going to replace our centre-fielder.

Anything other then calling up Milledge doesn't get Endy Chavez out of being our starting centre-fielder and that's a situation (dickshot's generous assessment excepted!!!) that we can't find acceptable when there's a POTENTIALLY better bat on the table.

I'm the first one to be worried about Milledge's clock, options and service time, but right now he's hitting the snot out of the ball and walking. I'd rather get him up here while he's in that frame of mind than after a two week long slump but when we're scratching about for bats after 3 weeks of endless outs endy.

[Elster88]

Nady would be a train wreck in center. Who hasn't reached this conclusion from seeing his play in right so far?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, calling up Diaz could replace him in giving us the unseemly but legiimate option to occasionally stick Diaz in right and Nady in center, (before going to Chavez for defensive replacement as early as the seventh, if we have a lead).

]Who hasn't reached this conclusion from seeing his play in right so far?

Maybe I havne't seen enough, but he's been a clear improvement over Diaz in every facet.

[Centerfield]

Nady takes some weird routes on balls.

[Elster88]

Elster88 wrote: Nady would be a train wreck in center. Who hasn't reached this conclusion from seeing his play in right so far?

="Edgy DC's response"]Maybe I havne't seen enough, but he's been a clear improvement over Diaz in every facet.

I'm not sure how Diaz's ability affects speculation on Nady's ability to play center. Nevertheless, I'll rephrase:

Who hasn't reached the conclusion that Nady would be a train wreck in center from seeing his play in right?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Agreed, but he hasn't had to take routes running after the ones that get by him like Diaz.

Center, while being a much tougher row to hoe in terms of ground covered, is reputed to be easier (Bobby Valentine's theory here), in terms of taking routes to balls. Balls neither slice nor hook in center, but go where they seem to be going.

Now that doesn't change the fact that a centerfielder covers far more ground and has maybe twice as many balls in his zone than a right or leftfielder. You may not want to see a bad glove put in play twice as much, but I'm always curious to see a manager try a solution that's a little more radical than the one he's been trying, or the standard.

With the Marlins barely alive last year, with their infielders hurt and forced to put clear minor-leaguers in the starting lineup, Jack McKeon batting Dontrelle Willis seventh. --- I like that crap.

Of course, desperate strategies are usually failing ones, but...

[Guest Edgy DC]

What does The Fielding Bible say about how Nady has played center in the past?

[Elster88]

I am big proponent of "[u:a752c934bd]Kaz's[/u:a752c934bd] increased offense will more than compensate for the decrease in defense from playing [u:a752c934bd]Kaz[/u:a752c934bd] instead of [u:a752c934bd]Andy[/u:a752c934bd] at [u:a752c934bd]second[/u:a752c934bd]."

I dunno if the sentence remains true after changing the underlined words to Diaz's, Nady, Endy, and center. But I am willing to listen to other arguments. And you do make interesting points.

I doubt we'll have the chance to see that in any event. What I describe is not remotely near anything Willie would consider doing while managing on this planet.

[Frayed Knot]

I'm not sure I'd use "train-wreck" to describe the spectre of Nady in CF.
I used that "weird route to balls" line a week or two back but I also said that he usually gets to where he needs to be. Yeah he's missed a couple but has made some decent plays as well.
Mostly speculation - and it's all moot if Beltran is back playing tonight - but I think Nady in the middle is something we could live with for 2 weeks.

[Zvon]

Juan Samuel was hit with a foul ball in the dugout the other day and suffered a broken face.

[Gwreck]

Anderson Hernandez was 1-5 at St. Lucie yesterday and is playing for Norfolk tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

Which is where I suspect he'll stay for the time being.
Tough to make an argument that he'll be worth much as a bench player.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Edgy DC wrote: What does The Fielding Bible say about how Nady has played center in the past?

CF 2005
28 GS, 244.1 Inn, -1 total, -4 enhanced.

That's not very good, but he's been pretty solid in RF.

RF 2003

98 GS, 846.7 Inn, +7 total, +6 enhanced, 7th in rank.

"Nady is a jack of all trades. He can play many positions but is not really great defensively anywhere. He can play first base, third base and all three outfield spots. Nady is athletic and has suprising speed for a bigger guy. He has some range--he played 30 games in CF--and could probably be an average defnder if he just stayed at one position. His best position is first base (+5 in 44 games at 1B in 2005). "

[nymr83]

Hernandez is too young (i'd put the cutoff around 27 but it could be higher or lower) to be sitting on the bench, he needs to play every day and if that won't be here it should be at AAA, the player and the mets are both better off in the long run if he is getting regular ABs in.

[Gwreck]

="Nymr83"]Hernandez is too young (i'd put the cutoff around 27 but it could be higher or lower) to be sitting on the bench, he needs to play every day and if that won't be here it should be at AAA, the player and the mets are both better off in the long run if he is getting regular ABs in.

If he's getting regular ABs in Norfolk, that's coming at the expense of Jeff Keppinger. Do we want that??

[Guest Edgy DC]

He can probably get enough at-bats backing up at second third and short for the Mets if they have room for him. He's certainly useful as such.

[Gwreck]

Edgy DC wrote: He can probably get enough at-bats backing up at second third and short for the Mets if they have room for him. He's certainly useful as such.

You think so? I see those as Chris Woodward's at-bats.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Maybe. It sure would be nice to see him go down to AAA and find his stroke me stroke me you could be a winner boy you move quite well.