No sooner than being dropped to the number eight spot in the lineup due to a prolonged slump, Luis Castillo was hinting that he needs more time off to heal.
The New York Post writes that when asked if he needs some time off, Castillo said: "Sometimes, I do. When I play three or four games in a row, maybe I can get a day off. I’m going to talk to Willie about it."
Last night was the first time that Castillo hit that low in the lineup in his career. He didn’t help his case after going 0-2 and lowering his average to an abysmal .193. His replacement in the two spot, Ryan Church, continues to wield a hot bat and raised his average to .326. Church who came to the Mets with a reputation for not hitting left handed pitchers well, worked hard and has improved significantly so far this season.
Luis Castillo signed a brand new $25 million dollar, 4-year contract just three months ago, and it already is looking like a terrible signing. It was already known that he suffered from a history of knee problems and in fact had minor surgery in the off season to clean them up. However, the surgery either has been very slow to heal or did little to correct the problem… a problem that the Mets must now deal with until 2011.
You can bank on the fact that his fallen status will only lead to more days off and further stints on the disabled list, especially if he does not improve his performance at the plate.
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Our condolences to the family of Antonio Narainasami who tragically fell to his death last night at Shea Stadium after the game. He was a 37-year-old Mets fan and father of two. He plunged to his death in a horrifying accident when he lost his footing and fell four stories over the side of an escalator on the mezzanine level in full view of his daughters, Emily, 14, and Anjali, 8, relatives said.
