31
2011
Jason Bay Heading To DL, Pagan May Bat 6th, Thole 2nd
An article by Craig Lerner
According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the New York Mets have officially placed left fielder Jason Bay on the disabled list with a strained left rib-cage muscle.
The DL stint, according to Rubin, could be backdated into spring training, meaning Bay would only need to miss the season’s first seven games. He would be eligible to return April 9.
“I took one swing and had a little bit of a sting or a stab in my side,” Bay said. “I’ve never had that before. I kind of hoped it was a cramp. With all the side problems that are running rampant in baseball, I kind of had a feeling something was up there. I took another round and it didn’t feel any better. That’s when we just shut it down.”
Bay received a cortisone injection Wednesday in Manhattan from Mets doctors.
Lucas Duda has been told he will make the team and will replace Bay on the Opening Day roster.
With the loss of Bay, however long it may be, Manager Terry Collins is reportedly ”floating alternative lineups” to the media.
It looks like Angel Pagan may bat sixth in Bays absence, while the youngster Josh Thole bats second.
Speaking of Pagan, the manager said: “He brings some thump to the plate. I’m thinking about perhaps with Jason being gone maybe putting him in a spot where he can help drive some runs in.”
I happen to think that it’s a great idea and like some of you, I was already beginning to envision Thole as a number two type hitter anyway, so this will be a good test and challenge for him. It may even be something permanent if things work out well.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 23 | 18 | .561 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 19 | .548 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 22 | .476 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 23 | .410 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 31 | .262 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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This Bay signing will end up just like Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo. By the end of this season, we’ll be begging the Mets to get rid of him. A total waste and not a New York kind of player he has the personality of a sponge.
Where have you been? Mets fans have been begging to get ruid of him for months.
Love the move of Thole in the 2 spot. One more day!
I would leave Angel batting second because of his speed
His speed plays from the 6 hole as well. The fact that he has more power and speed than Thole makes him a huge threat from there. I’d almost like to leave him in the 6 hole for good. Thole makes a great 2 hole hitter with his OBP and contact rates.
contact rates, lol…this gets more comical everyday..well at least if it makes you feel smart by talking that way then go for it.
anyway speed is needed more in the 2 hole because the middle of the order is coming up. Thole’s lack of speed in the 2-hole can clog up the basepaths.
Angel’s power works well in the 6 hole but his speed will probably used more to steal bases to try and score on hits by 7,8, & 9. Angel’s speed is more useful in the 2 hole for the big boys.
..contact rate, lol.
“Clog up the basepaths”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA wow.
instead of coming across as a jerk every day with snarky unfunny comments. We used to call people like that douchebags….what’s the point you want to make. Let me know and I’ll tell u what i think.
I thought it was just me, but his comment befuddled me too. If a major league manager was reserving his speedier hitters for the sixth spot rather than the 1,2 or 8 spot, than I must have been watching a different game for the past 40 years.
I will say one thing in Thole’s defense though, he’s not as slow as you think Bayonne, for a catcher that is. He gets out of the box well and will even steal a base under the right conditions.
i agree…i have no problem at all with Josh Thole batting 2nd, i’d like to see what he does …either way.
Good observation. I would agree with you there. While Thole is not fleet of foot he is not a turtle there as well. In the end the great thing is that TC has the choice of using either of those 2 right now to see what works best.
Reyes, Pagan 1,2 punch can be explosive but Pagan down in the order can work as well in balancing out the lineup as well.
I’m sorry but why are you beening a jackwagon here? His best assets are getting on base and not striking out. He’s not slow.
And just so you know, contact rates and K % are not sabr. Everyone uses them.
Pagans speed plays well in the 6 hole too. He’ll be able to create more runs for Emaus and Harris/Duda.
Josh Thole’s ability to hit major league pitching is a better asset than his ability to get on base. As long as he continues to improve his hitting his on base percentage will normally improve because his approach at the plate has always been natural to him. So to focus first on Josh Thole’s on base percentage is working backwards to forward.
What saber people refuse to understand is that you cannot make everybody have the same approach. You can say “hey i think you should cut down on swinging at bad pitches and hey, watch the ball coming out of the pitcher’s hand more closely and follow it into the catcher’s glove” and things like that. But u can’t change them. Some players are able to make minute adjustments but you’ll never see a Vlad Guerrero suddenly change into a Nick Johnson (approach wise, not talent wise)
Ok I see where you’re going. I tend to agree with most of what you’re saying. But obp walks and hits should be lateral. Thole getting on base for the middle of the order is paramount imo. It’s the same with Pagan and his speed. He will basically be Reyes of the bottom of the order. Get on base, steal bases and mess with pitchers so 7-9 can drive him in.
For Vlad it doesn’t matter. His power ability trumps everything anyway, but the fact remains he has a lifetime .320 BA, .383. OB in addition to his .563 SLG. Across the board GREAT numbers. That’s why he’ll be inducted into the HOF in a few years.
For players who are not future HOFers it is imperative to their team that they keep innings alive, whether that’s by hitting, bunting, walking, getting hit or even catcher interference. That gives someone else an opportunity they would not have had and it does so with at least one man on.
Even a small thing like leaning into a curve on 0-2 and taking a base brings the next guy up gives your offense a better chance forget about the big picture of making the pitcher bring it to where the barrel of the bat can get it by not going after his slop.
There’s a long time saying about pitchers one of my first baseball coaches taught us. “They always tell the pitcher not to give in. Not to throw that straight fastball just to get it over, but you can make him give in, otherwise he’ll be walking the bases loaded. Eventually he HAS to give in, as long as you make him.”
Very few Major League pitchers can consistently put it on the black, getting strikes while keeping the ball away from the good wood. To hit the best that you can you have to recognize what your getting and swing at only that which you can do something with.
That’s what Vlad has been doing all along. Swinging at stuff he can do something with. Not every hitter helps himself and his team in this regard like Guererro does.
Thole isn’t slow, for a catcher but what this reminds me of when Yanks had Jeter hitting 2nd.
He was a contact hitter but he kept contacting into DP’s, which is why Yanks moved him to 1st cause he hit into a lot of DP’s.
Thole might have this problem but I like him hitting in bottom of order if, as Terry states it about Pagan, he can provide some pop,if he continues to get doubles and on base.
Pagan has hit lower in order and maybe he can sometimes but if Duda is playing LF in the last 2 games against Marlins then he can provide that lower end of the batting order power.
Pagan and his speed along with David’s better than avg speed along with Carlos getting his legs back provide some serious run scoring punch at top of order.
Pagan hitting 6th or 5th can protect the hitter in front of him but his tools are best served in 1-3rd in batting order in my opinion.
I wonder where Terry got this idea about Pagan, maybe got a text from Manuel.