According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, left-handed reliever Garrett Olson is the front-runner to replace the injured Tim Byrdak who is expected to miss at least the first two weeks of the season.
Byrdak underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee last week, and afterward the team announced the lefty specialist would miss about six weeks.
Another possibility to replace Byrdak is Double-A prospect Josh Edgin. Yesterday during an appearance on WFAN, Terry Collins said the young left-hander stands a good chance of making the Opening Day roster.
Edgin is a hard thrower whose fastball regularly clocks in at 95 mph. He’s coming off a solid 2011 campaign and has caught the attention of the Mets in a big way.
“Number one, you like his arm, but I really like his demeanor, his presence and poise,” said Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen. “He’s throwing the ball great and using all his pitches.
“All the things I had heard about him has come to fruition. He seems to be fearless and a left-handed plus arm. I like that.”
Edgin was not originally invited to major league camp, but once Byrdak went down and the Mets considered their options, he quickly found his way onto the Mets radar screen. “We took a look at him and said, ‘My gosh, why isn’t he over here?'”
Last season, Edgin struck out 28 of the 77 left-handed batters he faced and in 100 2/3 career innings he has struck out 122 batters.
