The New York Mets transferred RHP Jeurys Familia from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

It’s just a procedural move to open a spot for RHP David Aardsma on the 40-man roster.

Familia underwent surgery Wednesday to remove bone spurs from his right elbow and is likely out for the season.

Original Post

Terry Collins told reporters before tonight’s game that Jeurys Familia will likely miss the remainder of this season.

“I don’t think we’ll have him this year,” Collins said.

Familia underwent surgery to remove loose bodies and bone spurs in his elbow. Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek performed the operation.

Familia was initially diagnosed with biceps tendinitis until being reexamined by team doctors yesterday who discovered the problem in his elbow.

“He’s a good worker and I know he’ll bounce back,” Collins added. “I’m just happy there’s no other damage.”

The starter turned reliever complained that he was unable to extend his arm fully in his delivery and has been on the disabled list since May 12.

Familia, 23, posted a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings pitched for the Mets this season.

Sad to see his season cut short like this. Look for him to be added to the 60 day disabled list at some point when the Mets need o open up a spot for a promotion.

In case you missed it, lefthander Jon Niese tossed 39 pitches yesterday, in a successful bullpen session at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.

Niese said he had no problems, threw the ball free and easy, and was able to get his arm angle to where he wanted to. He does not foresee any after effects tomorrow and said he felt much better than his previous bullpens in between starts.

“It was nice to throw a bullpen without feeling any soreness or pain,” Niese said.

“He said he felt great,” manager Terry Collins said. “No discomfort. No tightness. So that was a good sign.”

Niese is cleared to make his next start on Saturday, against the Marlins at Citi Field.

Original Post 6/3

Jon Niese has been scratched from his start Saturday with what the Mets are calling left shoulder tendinitis.

Niese said he was unable to throw his typical bullpen session on Wednesday and has been feeling discomfort for his past few starts and was very sore after his most recent start, Terry Collins told reporters.

He was examined Thursday morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery and an MRI revealed inflammation, but no structural damage.

He will miss at least one start and is expected to rest for three days then throw a bullpen session next Tuesday.

The Mets have no current plan to place Niese on the disabled list and Collin McHugh will start in his place against the Miami Marlins this weekend.

I’m no doctor, but if he was feeling sore after his last few starts, why were they still letting him pitch?

Niese has already suffered with a neck issue earlier this month and had lower back pain in April. At the time, Niese blamed his poor mechanics for it.

“You try to compensate and (then) create a bad habit.”

He recently made another mechanical adjustment just before his run of recent good starts. I wonder if this new shoulder issue is the result of that adjustment?

It’s always something…

Daniel Murphy’s college coach called him Joe Lunchpail; a blue collar guy who, for his age, “… knows as much about hitting as anybody out there,” said Terry Alexander, Jacksonville University Dolphins. “He wants to take it to a science.”

Murphy hit .317 during the month of May, including 10 doubles. He is second in the league in two-base hits. New York Post beat writer Mike Puma adds this impressive stat: Murphy had 12 two-out RBIs, ranking him first on the team. Unlike previous seasons, month-to-month, Murphy has been is playing like an All-Star; steady and consistent. This didn’t just happen overnight. Murphy has been “obsessed” with being a professional hitter since college. If he wants to take it a “science,” Murphy’s halfway to Einstein already.

In his Mets Confidential report in today’s Post, Puma states Murphy is the team’s Most Valuable Player for May. He wrote:

Daniel Murphy got rolling in the middle of the month and has emerged as the most dependable bat in this anemic Mets lineup. He is also the player the Mets want at the plate with the game on the line. Ideally, manager Terry Collins will keep Murphy in the No. 2 hole, but with Tejada on the disabled list there’s a chance Murphy will have to become the leadoff hitter for an extended period. Nobody had bigger hits than Murphy in the Mets’ four-game Subway Series sweep.

Do you agree?

Despite the Mets struggles in May, the team had a few bright spots which created some stiff competition in consideration for the monthly honor.

Bobby Parnell has stepped in and snatched the closer role. In May, he was 3-1 with seven saves (a perfect 7-for-7) and a 2.08 ERA. He has allowed eight hits in 13 innings pitched during the month. Opponents are hitting .182 against Parnell. When needed, he’s been almost flawless.

Let’s not forget Matt Harvey, who has caught the eye of every baseball fan. In 11 starts this season, Harvey is a perfect 5-0 with a skinny 1.85 ERA. he’s almost made Mets fans forget about Johan Santana, who is getting his share of press today while on the disabled list.

In May, Harvey is 1-0 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts, allowing just 26 hits in 37 2/3 innings pitched. He nearly threw a perfect game on May 7 against the Chicago White Sox, allowing one hit and striking out 12 — and didn’t get a win. Off the field he was the Sports Illustrated cover boy on May 14.

So, who is your Mets MVP for May? Daniel Murphy? Matt Harvey? Bobby Parnell? David Wright? Someone else? Cast your vote here.

Mejia was starting to show positive signs in his extended spring training rehab, writes Puma. But he had a flare up last week.

Once the top pitching prospect in the Mets system, Mejia has endured a myriad of injuries throughout his career. Most recently, he was shut down during spring training after experiencing soreness in his right elbow. He was placed on the 60-day disabled list with right elbow tendinitis and inflammation two weeks ago.

The 23-year old last pitched for the Mets on September 30, 2012. He made three starts last season and appeared in five games while posting a 5.63 ERA. He missed the entire 2011 season due to Tommy John Surgery.

To date, that has been the largest free agent contract doled out by Sandy Alderson and it may now be safe to say that it has been a total bust.

The Mets announced today that Francisco has been moved to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Triple-A shortstop Omar Quintanilla.

Last season, Francisco had one of the worst seasons in recent memory for a Mets closer. The righthander saved 23 games, but it was a struggle all the way and was never pretty.

Francisco averaged 14.5 base runners per nine innings (10 hits and 4.5 walks), so he was always in trouble. He finished the season with a 5.53 ERA the worst mark in the bullpen for anyone making 20 or more appearances.

During the off-season, he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, and then in February the team shut him down after experiencing discomfort in his elbow.

He has been on the disabled list ever since, has suffered numerous setbacks and has showed no signs of improvement.

The odds he gives the Mets anything at this point are very long. No bang for the buck here, move along…

A high-ranking team official told he New York Post on Thursday that barring a setback, Zack Wheeler is expected to make 2-3 more starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and then join the Mets. If Wheeler remains on normal rest, that would put his Mets debut somewhere in the June 6-11 range.

“If not for the minor setback with the shoulder, he might already be here,” the club official said. “We are at the point where you can say it’s probably two or three more starts for Las Vegas.”

Kristie Ackert of the Daily News also adds this:

“He’s ready,” a team source told the News Thursday, but the front office will want to see him throw consistently after the injury.

Wheeler allowed three runs on five hits, two home runs, two walks and two strikeouts, over five innings pitched against Triple-A Iowa. It was his first start since May 11 when he was put on the disabled list for a sore clavicle. He received a cortisone shot in the AC joint of his throwing shoulder.

With as bad as the team’s doing, declining revenues, falling attendance, and SNY viewership down 22%, the Mets need Wheeler more than he needs them.

However, he’ll need to burst out of the gates like Matt Harvey did if they expect him to save their season from total financial loss.

Original Post 5/22

Zack Wheeler took the hill this afternoon for the first time after a brief stint on the disabled list due to inflammation in the AC Joint of his throwing shoulder. He received a cortisone shot, and missed his scheduled start this past Saturday.

Wheeler looked a tad rusty from the get-go. He didn’t have great command over his pitches, and in fact, he missed the strike zone wildly a couple of times. He got hit hard throughout his five innings of work, and ended up giving up two home runs and a triple that narrowly missed being a third home run.

The two strike outs that Wheeler got in today’s game was his lowest total of the season (opening day he had three). It was promising to see that even though he didn’t have great command, he only walked two batters. Wheeler gave up three runs on five hits, two of which, as I stated earlier, were home runs. It should be noted that the ball was flying out of the park in Iowa today, and through the sixth inning (when I am writing this), there have been a total of six home runs hit between the two teams.

Coming on the heels of what Sandy Alderson said about Wheeler needing about two or three more solid outings before he will be promoted, today’s start was a disappointing one. The good news is, it looked as though he was pitching without pain, and was clocked at 96 mph with his fastball. This outing seemed to be nothing more than Wheeler experiencing a little lag from not pitching in over a week, and I look for him to get back on track with his next start.

Have you checked out MetsMinors.net yet? What are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Come see why almost 5,000 different readers checked us out on Tuesday. We are rewriting the book on Mets minor league coverage and it will never be the same again. Over a dozen dedicated quality posts per day – each packed with insights and quotes we get from the players themselves. Come see what all the commotion is about and I guarantee you’ll be hooked…

Frank Francisco

Francisco hasn’t pitched since he last appeared in an inning of relief for Single-A St. Lucie. He hasn’t allowed a run five innings over five relief appearances with them.

yesterday, Adam Rubin reported that Francisco would head to Double-A Binghamton to continue his rehab, but obviously that probably won’t happen now.

Francisco had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in December and was shutdown early in Spring Training after experiencing discomfort in his elbow. He started the season on the disabled list.

After a woeful season in 2012, the Mets were hoping for a rebound from their closer who was signed to a $12 million dollar, two year deal by Sandy Alderson before the 2012 season. He is still owed $6.5 million for 2013.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (who else), posted the full details of the deal the Mets signed with Shaun Marcum. The one-year deal guarantees him $4 million as well knew, but here’s the breakdown of the other $4 million he can earn with incentives:

– $250,000 apiece for reaching 120, 140, 160 and 170 innings.

– $375,000 apiece for reaching 180 and 190 innings.

– $500,0000 for reaching 200 innings.

– $375,000 apiece for 90 and 120 days on active roster, or on disabled list for injury unrelated to his right arm.

– $500,000 apiece for being on active roster or DL for injury unrelated to right arm for 150 and 170 days. (The major league season is 183 days.)

Marcun tossed 52 pitches over five scoreless innings in an extended spring training game yesterday in St. Lucie. He’s on target to make his Mets debut on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Rubin says that Marcum will most likely will be capped at 90 pitches.

Remember, Marcum was supposed to replace the 200 innings we lost in R.A. Dickey. Nobody expected him to replace what the reigning Cy Young did last season, but Marcum was being relied upon to be an innings eater for the team despite missing a good chunk of the season with arm troubles last season.

Since arriving to camp in February, he has dealt with one ailment or another ranging from weak shoulder, neck pain and biceps tendinitis.

So far, he is already out of the running for the $500K bonus for being on the active roster for 170 days. That ship has already sailed.

I think it’s a safe bet to say he won’t pitch more than 160 innings this season which wipes out another half dozen of those incentives.

My question is this…

If Marcum was supposed to replace Dickey’s innings as stated by Sandy Alderson after he signed him, why then did he need all those incentives to simply achieve that end?

It appears to me that Alderson had some deep and abiding concerns about whether marcum could even pitch 100 innings, hence all these incentives. So why give him $4 million guaranteed in the first place?

Why didn’t we invest the $8 million he apparently was willing to commit on a less riskier starting pitcher who was a proven innings eater that didn’t have the injury concerns that Marcum had?

Throw in the fact that Johan Santana was still incommunicado on January when Marcum was signed and nobody knew if Johan would be ready to pitch in Spring Training. And I do mean nobody.

All I’m saying is that we could have put our money (what little of it we had) on a safer bet.

Thank God for Matt Harvey and Jon Niese or the Mets placing in the NL East standings would be much more different right now. Those two alone have accounted for seven of the Mets nine wins.

Shaun Marcum looks to be making steady progress. According to Adam Rubin, the veteran right-hander tossed four no-hit innings in an extended spring training game today.

Marcum has been on the 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis, retroactive to March 22, but has been rehabbing and tossing from a mound over the past ten days.

The Mets signed him to a guaranteed $4 million dollar deal in January, but he has been injured with one ailment or another since reporting to spring training. It now appears that he is getting healthy and putting all of that behind him. He possibly could join the Mets during their next homestand.

The Mets will not need a fifth starter again until a week from Saturday. Marcum could likely make his Mets debut on that day against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.

Update 10:40 PM by Satish Ram

Lopez said Mateo’s issue was in his right forearm/elbow. Mateo got checked out by the team doctor, but he may also get an MRI to be safe.

— Lynn Worthy (@PSBLynn) April 16, 2013

Team doctors have examined Mateo and it looks like he’s definitely heading for an MRI in the morning.

Well, let’s all hope for the best…

Original Post 7:58 PM

One of the top Mets pitching prospects, Luis Mateo, has left his Double-A debut in the fourth inning of tonight’s game for the B-Mets. The trainer and head coach Pedro Lopez visited Mateo the mound and escorted him off the field. According to a tweet by Lynn Worthy, they appeared to be inspecting his hand.

Mateo was called up from St. Lucie to replace Cory Mazzoni, who was placed on the disabled list with “Tennis Elbow,” earlier today.

Before leaving the game, Mateo had given up four runs on six hits, one of which was a two run home run.

Once we get word on Mateo we will pass it along. Check back for updates.

No-Han was everything any Met fan could have ever hoped for last season and it surpassed all our expectations. And when it happened there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Some viewers were even passing out in the aisles, while most of them danced and jumped around them.

But the followup to last year’s box-office hit is already looking like a box-office flop and it could cost the team millions.

SPOILER ALERT!

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana is officially going to start the season on the disabled list. Worse yet, it may be months before he makes it back to the Mets rotation. The fact is nobody knows, the only constant is that he currently can’t pitch. (What about that whole WBC thing?)

The Mets announced that Santana continues to experience weakness in his left shoulder and there is no timetable for when he will pitch off a mound again – that’s assuming if he ever does pitch off a mound again. The critics are already weighing in and are giving No-Han 2.0 a resounding two thumbs down each.

His outlook is so bleak that he still is not past the stage of throwing on flat ground at a short distance and even that’s a chore for him.

“I’ve just got to stay here and work out and get ready,” Santana told reporters Saturday morning.

“I’m making progress. It’s just I don’t know when I’m going to be pitching again.”

I don’t know when I’m going to pitch again? This is more frightening that Friday the 13th – Part 6 only with less gore…

Santana, like all top-grossing actors, will get his big payday to the tune of $25.5 million dollars regardless of how No-Han 2.0 plays out, but that doesn’t keep the bad taste of it from our mouths.

The Mets thought it best to let their 34-year old ace rest up for three months after shutting him down because of a bum ankle… Make that eight months…

According to Adam Rubin, team doctor David Altchek says that Santana’s shoulder is structurally sound. That’s great, but if that were actually the case, then why the delay? And why is he limited to tossing only marshmallows at 30 paces?

“When I talked to him, he said everything was fine,” Santana said. “The shoulder is not feeling good or it’s just not strong.” Santana described his current activity as a “slow process.”

A slow process indeed and only getting slower… It reminds of the ending to LOTR: Return of the King – the longest ending in Hollywood history. 

Now might be a good time to leave your seat and go grab a refreshing drink and another bucket of popcorn (extra butter) – this intermission is going to take a while…

The curtain is coming down quickly on Johan Santana’s 2013 season and it doesn’t look like there will be a good ending to this rotten tomato.

In short, Santana will not break camp with the Mets next week and the team is unsure when he’ll pitch again this season.

That’s too bad…

Closer Frank Francisco told the team he is still not feeling right after a 31-pitch side session on Saturday. He is still trying to recover from inflammation following off-season surgery to remove above spur form his right elbow.

“It’s not like sharp pain, but I feel like it’s not 100%,” Francisco said afterward. “It only happens when I try to push more than what I have before.”

Francisco said he feels a sting after each pitch. He is owed $6.5 million and is in the final season of the the two-year, $12 million deal he signed prior the 2012 season.

There’s no chance that Johan Santana will be ready to open the season and it could be May until we see him again at all. He has yet to pitch in a game and once he reaches that point it will be like the start of Grapefruit League play and would need at least five appearances to build up his arm strength and endurance.

Santana is owed $25.5 million in 2013, the final guaranteed year of the longterm contract he signed with the Mets before the 2008 season.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy is still dealing with a moderate strain of his intercostal and has yet to play in a Grapefruit League game this spring. He has been shutdown after playing five innings of defense in a minor league game last Friday. According to manager Terry Collins, if Murphy doesn’t get on the field by this weekend, he could start the year on the disabled list.

“If he’s not back in a game, you’re down to seven days and that’s not a lot of time to get somebody who hasn’t done anything all spring, to get him ready,” Collins said.

That brings us to David Wright, who also is sidelined with a moderate strain of the intercostal. He has already been treated with a cortisone shot to his rib cage area and is in the third day of waiting for any sign of improvement.

Regardless, he will be reevaluated by team doctors on Friday and so far it’s playing out the same way it has for Daniel Murphy who has already missed more than a month. Year one of Wright’s eight year, $138 million contract is not off to a roaring start.

Just on those four players alone, Santana $25.5 million, Wright $11 million, Francisco $6.5 million and Murphy 2.95 million, the Mets are on the hook for $49.5 million dollars.

With a payroll that comes in at around $85 million, nearly 60% of it will likely be on the shelf on Opening Day.

There are other injuries the Mets are contending with as well such as Kirk Nieuwenhuis who has a bone bruise and Shaun Marcum is still building arm strength after missing a couple of starts.

But for the most part, and while all teams have bumps and bruises of their own this time of the year, I doubt any of them will have more than half of their payroll sitting idly on the sidelines come Opening Day.

You won’t like me when I’m angry…

Bobby Parnell has been something of a wildcard for the Amazin’s each of the past few seasons. He has been bounced all around the pitching staff,  however in 2012 seems to have found himself a home in the late innings of New York Mets baseball games.

The question remains however, which inning does the young fireballer belong? He hasn’t exactly found success as a closer, but has proven to be a very effective set-up man. With Frank Francisco likely starting the year on the disabled list,–and better off staying there–Parnell has been handed the job and has a golden opportunity to prove he deserves to stay there. In his six Spring Training games, he is certainly on the right track, but the question is will Parnell be able to incorporate this exceptional performance into higher leverage situations as the year goes on. The common perception among Met fans is no, Parnell is not a big game pitcher, however if we see this Bobby throughout the 2013 season, we could be looking at a completely different pitcher than in years past.

Parnell overall went 5-4 with a 2.49 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Last season, despite a history of having command issues, walked only 20 in 68.2 innings pitched. He also struck out 61 and opposing batters only hit .249 off him with a .303 on-base percentage, both career bests for Parnell.

Let’s see some swagger in 2013!

The now 28-year old had seven saves, three of which came in September out of just as many opportunities. Also pitching to a 0.60 ERA in the final month of the season, Parnell definitely showed signs that he can handle the ninth.

Although it has only been a matter of six outings down in St. Lucie, Parnell has dominated every time he has been out on the mound this past month. Will that electric stuff continue? That remains to be seen. Throughout his career, Parnell has struggled when the going gets tough, however so far it appears as if we are seeing a changed athlete. One who wants the ball when the game is on the line. One who doesn’t get around hitters, but goes after them and blows them away.

Which Bobby Parnell will show up? I can’t say. But in my opinion, these Spring Training outings, unlike most, are a sign of more than just a hot start in a few meaningless games.

We have slowly seen progression from Parnell  each of the past four seasons, and I believe 2013 is his time to shine.

Thoughts from Joe D.

I don’t have much to say other than to look at my images in this post and their captions. It’s time to see some fire in the belly from Parnell – not in the seventh inning, but in the ninth. It’s put up or shut up time for Parnell. He’s not a kid any more and it’s time to man up… No more “deer in the headlights” look either… It’s time to get mean… It’s time to get angry…

This scenario could actually be helpful for the Mets when you take a deeper look. It has been rumored that Reyes could get Carl Crawford money when he becomes a free agent this off-season.

However, this latest injury could impact his chances of getting that kind of a cash windfall. Reyes has made many trips to the disabled list in his career and some people believe that he is injury prone.

With his latest injury, it only gives teams more reason to believe that Reyes will continue to have issues.

This is a fact that will help the Mets greatly when it comes to negotiating with Reyes and his agent this off-season. Reyes’ price will likely drop down to a range that the Mets can afford as many teams will be hesitant to sign up to a long-term deal.

Reyes will likely miss between two to three weeks as a result of this current injury.

With the Mets out of contention this year, they have no need to rush Reyes back. He will take his time getting healthy. This missed playing time also works in the Mets favor.

That time off of the field will definitely cost Reyes money and he could lose out on millions of dollars as a result of this injury

Reyes has undoubtedly been the Mets MVP when he has been healthy this year and if the Mets wish to succeed in the near future, it is important that he is on the team’s roster.

Losing Jose Reyes or any player to an injury is never a good thing, but there may be a  silver lining in it for the Mets if it increases the chances of them keeping their All Star shortstop for the 2012 season and beyond.

Earlier this week there was news that Beltran participated in limited batting practice, but he rarely swung at any pitches. In addition, he participated in some outfield drills. It has also been reported that when Beltran plays in a minor league game he will have a pinch runner when he gets on base. This means that he is not yet at full speed.

It is becoming clear that Beltran will not be on the Opening Day roster. If the Mets keep him in minor league games during the rest of the spring they can backdate his DL-stint so that he can come back sooner. The question is what can the Mets expect from Beltran once he is able to play?

For the first four years of his contract with the Mets, Beltran put up great numbers. However, since 2009 he has had an injury bug. Over the past two years he played just 145 games. However, he did hit 17 home runs and batted .295 over that span. Could that be what the Mets can expect from Beltran this year? Those numbers certainly don’t justify the $18.5 million that Beltran is owed for this year.

It is possible that Beltran will not play on a daily basis for at least a month. The move to right field should help Beltran stay healthier since he does not need to cover as much ground as he did in center.

Assuming that Beltran stays healthy, it is possible that he plays in as many as 135 games this season. If that does happen, it is reasonable to expect that Beltran could put up a line close to .280/.365/.490. The Mets could also see Beltran hit between 20 and 25 home runs and drive in 80 to 95 runners. Beltran will likely see his stolen base numbers drop to less than 10 in an attempt to keep his knee healthy. This would be the best-case scenario.

A possible worst case scenario would be that for the third year in a row Beltran struggles to remain healthy. He is only able to appear in 70 to 80 games. In this limited playing time Beltran posts a triple slash line of .260/.335/.440. He is only able to hit 8 to ten home runs and he does not drive in more than 45 runners. This is also a plausible outcome for Beltran’s season.

If Beltran is able to stay healthy this year and the Mets struggle then the team could trade him away to a contender and bring back a solid prospect or two that can help them in the future. If the Mets are still in contention, they can hold on to Beltran to help them make a playoff run.

The fact of the matter is that Beltran could be the key to the Mets season. If he is healthy, the Mets could be a playoff team. If not, the Mets could suffer through a long season yet again.

But what I’m getting at is this….we haven’t had injuries to key players like David Wright, Jason Bay, Davis, Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Pedro Feliciano, or K-Rod…or to any of our catchers.  Last year, it was like we were legitimately cursed with the injury bug. So with the core of the Mets in the lineup and on the mound each day and each week, and with the team playing just about as well as it’s capable, second place and 1.5 games out on June 23 doesn’t seem so ridiculous.

And seriously, after last year, we were due for some better luck both with injuries and with the performances of our regulars.  Now, if the tides turn and David Wright rolls his ankle running the bases tonight, I’ll take the heat that’s coming to me.  But I think we’re in for a wild (and hopefully successful) run toward the playoffs this season.

K-Rod had a nice season, but his dip from 62 saves in Los Angeles the year before to 35 with the Mets was both a reflection on the Mets having a bad season and him being a bit inconsistent.  His 3.71 ERA was also way inflated from his 2.24 mark the previous season.  Putz was pitching pretty well before blowing out an elbow and being put on the DL about a third of the way into the 2009 season.  And Parnell was great at times, and a gas can at others.

So now, how do you feel knowing that K-Rod is coming off a sub-par season, with Parnell, Kelvim Escobar, Jose Feliciano, Sean Green, Pat Misch and Ryota Igarashi behind him?  On paper, this bullpen is almost as much of a question mark as the starting rotation is.  That’s not to say they can’t overachieve and keep the team in games, but how likely is that?  And the rotation is not exactly the kind of group that will give the bullpen long stretches of rest at a time.  To the contrary, they will be called upon to pitch 2-3 innings each night.

So I ask you, how do you all feel about this bullpen?

I have been a supporter of John Maine’s for the last few seasons.  I felt that trading Kris Benson for Maine was a good move by Omar.  Maine had a good 2006 post season and in 2007 he won 15 games and even came close to a no hitter in the heat of a September pennant race against the Marlins.  The future looked solid for him as the 2008 season drew near, but unfortunately it was dismal year for Maine, who only won ten games and ended the season on the DL with an arm injury. He ended up having surgery to remove a bone spur from his shoulder, and reportedly his doctors said that the spur was the biggest they had ever seen.

Maine came into the 2009 season ready to prove that the injury was behind him and he was working hard to get back to his 2007 form.  Unfortunately for him and the fans, Maine struggled in April, posting a 5.40 ERA and only had one victory in four starts. The results in May were much better, as Maine went 4-1 with an ERA of 2.75.  Maine did not have a good June last year he was subsequently placed on the DL due to fatigue in his pitching arm.  He suffered many setbacks as he tried to comeback from injuries, but remained on the DL until September in which he only went more than 5 innings once. Maine finished 2009 with a 7-6 record while pitching 81.1 innings and posting a 4.43 ERA. His last start of the season was a good one though; he pitched seven innings, allowed just one earned run and struck out seven Astros.

A lot of friends have accused me of having blind loyalty for John Maine, and for the most part they are probably right. However, what can I say, I like his gritty attitude and his never say die approach to the game.  He always wants the ball and always gives 110%.  Maine’s arm/shoulder strength has always been somewhat worrisome to me.  Last season, was not the first time he had to sit due to weakness in his shoulder.  Usually before or right after the All-Star break Maine will miss a start or two due to weakness in his pitching arm. Maine also has a hard time getting out of the fifth inning as his effectiveness worsens when he works deep into games. 

I have felt for a long time that Maine would be best served as a vital part of the bullpen.  He could be used in several roles including that of a a long man, or the spot that I prefer him in, as part of a bridge to K-Rod.  I think the Mets need to seriously consider putting Maine in the pen where I believe they will get the most production out of him while keeping the wear and tear on his arm to a minimum.

The problem with Maine is not so much the walks as it is the number of pitches he throws in a game.  I believe in 2007, batters hit the most foul balls against him, and he had one of the highest number of 3-2 counts in the majors that season. Maine’s stuff is good, but it is not overpowering, and when opposing lineups see him after a couple of turns through the lineup, they only swing at pitches in the zone forcing him to throw more pitches which results in fatigue and high pitch counts. If Maine were to work out of the bullpen, it would alleviate that problem and he may be able to give the Mets one or two very effective innings per appearance. In a role like that, I believe he excel and become a bigger asset to the Mets than he currently is right now.

But here’s something I just can’t get past.  The disabled list itself, and the fact that our core that have landed on there (Beltran, Reyes, Delgado, Putz, Maine) and are probably all done for the season.  Here is the list of who went on the DL when, and why…

The 60-day DL sometimes means longer, but how is it that Reyes, Maine and Beltran are all on the 15-day DL?  So far, Reyes has been on there for 90 days, Maine 73 days, and Beltran 58 days.  We’re not talking broken bones here.  We’re talking tendonitis, shoulder fatigue and a bone bruise, respectively.  I’m not a doctor, but apparently neither are the guys in charge of the Mets’ infirmary either.  I think there is a real problem in this organization, whether that’s on the diagnosis end or in the weight room or something.  But there is a problem here for sure.