We are now 11 days away from opening day and injuries continue to haunt the Mets. The good news is that the Mets head into the new season with pitching they haven’t had in years. The bad news is that their offense has suffered a series of nagging injuries and recoveries all spring long. Here’s a breakdown of where the team is and how things will shake out come opening day.
As mentioned, the starting rotation looks in great shape with Santana,
The left side of the infield is very much set with gold glove winner David Wright at third and Jose Reyes at short. Now we get to the medical list. First let’s touch on the most likely players to be okay. Carlos Beltran has said all spring long he will be ready for opening day so pencil him in at center field. He has been playing regularly getting his at bats now. He said recently that his knees are sore but a good sore. The kind of sore you expect to have during spring training. Luis Castillo has been playing as well and also feels that he is on track to be playing every day by March 31. So for the most part, the Mets are confident that four regulars will be ready to go.
Now the question marks. First and foremost is Carlos Delgado. He did not play last evening and has not appeared in a game since Sunday when he suffered a cut requiring 4 stitches. In a bizarre play Delgado got hit in the forearm with a shattered bat. Just when Carlos was starting to drive the ball the other way well he suffers an injury. He of course is listed day to day and I’ll pencil him in for opening day. He knows how important he is to the lineup and I would imagine, with all due respect to Gino Vannelli, wild horses could not drag him away.
Ryan Church has had limited time playing because of a concussion he suffered the first week of games and his absence due to the first born child last week. There should be a baseball rule that forces players and their wives to conceive in the spring so the child is born in the off season. I know I do need some perspective. Anyway, Church will be ready to play but he may be a bit behind the other players by opening day. He’s not had a whole lot of at bats. His buddy from Washington, Brian Schneider, also has had fits and starts. He’s been bothered by a nagging hamstring strain and has not had a lot of appearances in games. His backup Ramone Castro, also suffering from a strained hamstring, has a better shot at being in the opening day lineup. You can imagine the outcry from Mets fans if Lo Duca and Milledge are shining by mid April and Schneider and Church are still hobbling. It will be a field day for the New York Post.
We already know Moises Alou will not be ready for prime time. Moises did not wait long this year to get on the DL. His hernia surgery put him on the back burner till at least late May.
Damion Easley and Endy Chavez will be ready to go. Ruban Gotay appeared in last night’s game but he may not be 100 percent ready by the opener. Perhaps a deal will be made by the end of spring training. As mentioned, it’s no secret that the Mets have been shopping Sosa and Schoeneweis. They need a right hand hitting outfielder but are unwilling to give up yet more young pitching talent. A deal of any significance will be hard to come by. The Mets should have a good season but the nagging injuries and rehabs are putting some doubt into getting off to a quick start.
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