Updated by HoJo at 6:00 PM Scott Atchison, who experienced numbness in his fingers while pitching Monday, has been placed on the disabled list according to Assistant GM John Ricco. Atchison was examined Tuesday in New York by team doctors who said there is “no new structural damage.” The 37 year old veteran reliever opted not to have Tommy John surgery last year despite a ligament tear in his right elbow. Collin McHugh has been promoted from [...]

Just call him Mr. Clutch or as our own Daniel Nelson likes to refer to him, “El Dramatico”. Yes, of course we’re talking about the incredible Jordany Valdespin who came off the bench once again and delivered another dramatic pinch-hit home run to help the Mets beat the Marlins 7-6 and salvage the final game of the series. Valdespin continues to display an uncanny ability for rising to the occasion whenever the Mets need a [...]

Updated on 5/1 Bob Klapisch of The Record, mirrors my post from Monday that the Terry Collins watch has begun: The countdown on Terry Collins began on the first day of pitchers and catchers and nothing so far has made it any easier to believe he’ll be back with the Mets in 2014. Of course, Collins has handled his lame-duck status with grace and maturity — he’s an honest guy, good with people — but [...]

Jon Niese gets credit for a quality start according to those stats… As for the others? Well this, my friends, is where our story begins… Behold the Mets’ poison pen and embrace the horror… Josh Edgin has a 9.75 ERA and his fastball is slowing down in velocity by the day. The situation with him is nearing a panic level. Scott Atchison couldn’t get an out and allowed three earned runs to cross the plate. [...]

I was on the phone with Joe D. as I was driving to the park and he asks me if I think they’ll get the game in? I look out my window, light snow showers, “I think so,” I tell him. “Just some light snow at the moment.” I hadn’t been off the phone for more than 30 seconds when the snow got harder, then it started doing something that I think they call sleet, [...]

Over their first 9 games the Mets have  shown some decidedly encouraging signs, but there have also been some glaring concerns. It’s far too early to draw any real conclusions, but it isn’t too early for a first impression. The Starting Pitching Two words: Matt Harvey. Harvey has been stellar … actually more than stellar, he has been intergalactic. What has impressed me about Harvey is his poise and his fledgling ability to control the [...]

There are a lot of indicators for a successful team and the Mets did several of them today in beating the Miami Marlins, 4-3, Sunday. Among them are winning close games, being able to come from behind, clutch hitting and solid relief work. The bullpen kept the Mets in the game until aggressive base running by Ruben Tejada and Kirk Nieuwenhuis set up Marlon Byrd’s game-winning, two-run single off Marlins’ closer Steve Cishek. ON THE [...]

Scott Rice made his Mets and major league debut by pitching a perfect ninth inning in this afternoon’s 11-2 Opening Day win over the San Diego Padres. After the game, Rice told reporters he intends to relich the moment as long as he can and let it all sink in. “Obviously I had a little jitters just running out there, but once the batters get in, it’s baseball. So I went out there and just [...]

The Mets made possibly their most underrated signings of the offseason in late-January when they signed right-handed relief pitcher Scott Atchison to a minor league contract. Atchison, 36, has bounced around baseball in his 14-year professional career. He came out of TCU as a starting pitcher in the late ’90s. Drafted by the Mariners, he rose up through the system, but stalled at Triple-A. He was eventually converted to a relief pitcher, and made his [...]

The Mets seem to be rolling the dice when it comes to bringing in veterans on minor-league deals to compete for spots in the bullpen. The team will likely head north in about two months with seven relievers, but spring training will decide who those lucky seven are. LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison were recently signed to minor-league deals. Do these guys have enough left in the tank to be contributors to this year’s bullpen? [...]