New York Mets News

Is New York Mets Star Carlos Beltran Planning an Early May Return?
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March 19
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The New York Mets are really hoping to surprise some people this season after the dismal, injury-riddled 2009, but a portion of that expectation is resting on the rehab from surgery on the right knee of Carlos Beltran. According to the New York Daily News, Beltran is likely going to be back in the lineup before early May. "Every day I'm improving," Beltran told the paper. "I don't feel the same way I did last year. At the same time, it's hard for me to say when I'm going to be ready. Doing this is no problem, but the big test will be when I start doing baseball activities every day, when I start running, catching fly balls and standing out there on my feet for a full day. I'm looking ..."
Is middle-of-the-road Oliver Perez enough for Mets?
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March 19
Bergen Record
 
"The Mets never know from day to day whether they are going to get the good Ollie or the bad Ollie when Oliver Perez takes the mound. So would they be content with a mediocre Ollie? Perez has managed to avoid the terrible implosions of the past, bouts of wildness and disaster on the mound this spring. But he also hasn't been providing the good that normally comes in his starts – strikeouts and swings and misses. So is something in the middle good enough? The Mets desperately need something better than what they got last year, not only from Perez, but also from John Maine and Mike Pelfrey. The Mets saw their season fall apart not only with the seemingly endless parade of injuries, but also ..."
Cora to start at shortstop
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March 19
Bergen Record
 
"While the Mets have spent the spring enamored of many of their younger players, even the excitable Jerry Manuel put a damper on some of the hysteria Thursday, announcing that Alex Cora will handle the starting shortstop duties until Jose Reyes returns, instead of 20-year-old Ruben Tejada, and that Jenrry Mejia, if he makes the team, won't be the set-up man. Manuel did not rule out either player making the team – and Tejada's chances got better when Anderson Hernandez was claimed on waivers by Cleveland Wednesday. But he hopes to break the kids in slowly. "I thought Cora would be the guy at this time," said Manuel, who was still hopeful that Reyes could be back by opening day – a long ..."
Alex Cora will be Mets' starting shortstop if Jose Reyes starts season on DL
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March 19
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Jerry Manuel hasn't seen enough of infield prospect Ruben Tejada to know if he's ready for the majors. But the Mets manager knows this: If Tejada does make the Opening Day roster, he would start the season on the bench, not starting in place of Jose Reyes. If, as expected, Reyes begins the season on the disabled list, Manuel said Thursday that Alex Cora would start at shortstop. There had been some speculation after the news of Reyes' thyroid condition last week that Tejada could start at shortstop, but Manuel said that will not be the case. "Cora would be the guy at this time," Manuel said. Manuel compared Tejada's situation to that of much-hyped pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia. If Mejia ..."
Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano leaves game with bruised right knee
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March 19
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano left Thursday's exhibition game against the Marlins with a bruised right knee after being struck by a grounder off the bat of Brett Hayes. Feliciano walked off the field with no problem and said he was not in any pain. Manager Jerry Manuel, pitching coach Dan Warthen and trainer Ray Ramirez went out to examine Feliciano after the play. After throwing a couple warmup pitches, Feliciano exited with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. "I told Jerry I was fine," Feliciano said. "I didn't want to risk it. I'll be fine tomorrow.""
Cora wants to silence critics
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March 19
The Journal News
 
"Mets veteran infielder Alex Cora knows what people are saying about his age and inability to play every day, but he looks forward to the chance to prove the naysayers wrong. With shortstop Jose Reyes likely out for the start of the season because of an overactive thyroid, Cora likely will start the season in his place, with 20-year-old prospect Ruben Tejada a possibility to back him up, manager Jerry Manuel said Thursday. The 34-year-old Cora has 12 years of major-league experience, including extensive time last year when injuries made him a necessity, though he also battled thumb injuries much of the season. "People are talking about age and that I've slowed down defensively," Cora said. ..."
Marlins prospect Petersen still learning from McGwire
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March 19
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"Earlier this spring after a Marlins Get your Marlins Tickets now!-Cardinals game at Roger Dean Stadium, outfielder Bryan Petersen got some good feedback – from the opposing hitting coach. Two offseasons ago, Petersen and fellow University of California-Irvine product Tyler Vaughn, a third baseman in the Mets system, happened upon Mark McGwire in the batting cages there. He was working with Matt Holliday and Skip Schumaker. Watching from a distance soon became hands on training. The left-handed hitting Petersen and McGwire stayed in touch throughout 2009 and worked together again last winter. During the first week of spring training, McGwire took him to dinner. "His swing is there," McGwire ..."
Carlos Beltran makes progress with knee rehab, may return to New York Mets' lineup by early May
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March 19
New York Daily News
 
"Most of the Mets had just started their workday when Carlos Beltran emerged from the clubhouse gym, unhooking a heart-rate monitor from around his midsection. Beltran, his shirt drenched with sweat, had just finished a grueling two-hour, 40-minute workout, part of his rehab from surgery on his right knee. While his teammates were outside taking batting practice before a bus trip to Jupiter for Thursday night's game against the Marlins, Beltran stood by his locker talking about the progress his knee has made - enough to make him smile several times during the conversation. The knee was wrapped after the workout, but the "pinch" he felt there is gone after his winter operation and his leg ..."
New York Mets' Pedro Feliciano takes ball to knee from Brett Hayes, Jerry Manuel benches pitcher
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March 19
New York Daily News
 
"Pedro Feliciano got hit in the right kneecap by a hot shot off the bat of Florida's Brett Hayes Thursday night, but the Mets' lefty reliever appeared to avoid serious injury and said he could've remained in the game. "I told Jerry (Manuel) I was fine but he wanted me to come out," Feliciano said. With the way things have gone injury-wise for the Mets over the past year or so, who can blame the manager? Feliciano was checked by trainers and then threw several warmup pitches, but Manuel decided, "If you have to throw pitches, I need to get you out of there." But, the manager said, "He's good. I didn't get a report that it was anything." The Mets should know the full story today - Feliciano ..."
Mejia looks good
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March 18
Bergen Record
 
"While Jenrry Mejia has been impressive throughout the spring, he might have taken another step Wednesday. He needed just six pitches to put the Red Sox down in order – Mike Cameron, Josh Reddick and Marco Scutaro – in the fifth inning. And the Mets needed just six pitches to see enough from him. Rather than put him out for a second inning after the slight workload, the Mets decided they'd rather take a look at other pitchers. "We'll have to keep him in that way because of the fact that we're stretching a lot of other people out," Jerry Manuel said. "That doesn't mean that that's what he'll be assigned to or whatever in the future. All that means is that we don't have enough innings, but we ..."
Confident Pelfrey looking real sharp
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March 18
Bergen Record
 
"Ever since the Mets made him the No. 9 overall pick five years ago, the organization has been certain of Mike Pelfrey's potential. But he has seemed to counter that with an equally uncertain belief in his own ability. Nervously licking his hand on the mound, struggling through balks and sometimes admittedly afraid to throw the ball to the plate, he has left the potential floating in limbo. But Wednesday afternoon, Pelfrey seemed to take a step forward – in his performance on the mound and in his own belief in what he can do. Throwing an assortment of pitches that he's never unleashed, he threw an impressive four innings against a Boston Red Sox' lineup that wasn't far off from the ..."
Should Mets consider starting Fernando Martinez in center field?
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March 18
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Jenrry Mejia has been the most hyped Mets prospect this spring. Ike Davis has gotten his share of attention, too. But Fernando Martinez is having as good a spring as both of them, if not a better one. The 21-year-old outfield prospect is hitting .538 with two doubles, two triples, three homers and 10 RBI through nine Grapefruit League games. As it happens, the Mets are looking for a starting center fielder until Carlos Beltran returns. But they remain intent on having Martinez start the season at Triple-A Buffalo, leaving Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews Jr. to slug it out for the big-league job. When asked if he would consider F-Mart for the job Thursday, manager Jerry Manuel said, "That ..."
Pelfrey has good outing for Mets
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March 18
The Journal News
 
"Boston starter John Lackey gave up two hits in four innings before the Mets rallied with four runs in the eighth for a 4-2 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday. Lackey struck out two and walked none. In nine combined innings this spring, Lackey has not allowed a run — earned or unearned — or issued a walk. He has given up just five hits. "I'm throwing the ball pretty well," said Lackey, who threw 28 of his 39 pitches for strikes. "But honestly I'd probably like to maybe give up a couple runs. Don't want to bring them all north with me." Red Sox manager Terry Francona is pleased with Lackey's performances this spring. "First-pitch strikes; that was fun to watch," Francona said. "Let them put ..."
Surge won't get F-Mart to bigs
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March 18
New York Post
 
"Although he continues to be otherworldly in the Grapefruit League, Fernando Martinez almost certainly is not going to be on the Mets' Opening Day roster. Martinez blasted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning of the Mets' 4-2 win over the Red Sox yesterday, and is hitting .538 (14-for-26) with three homers and 10 RBIs this spring. But Manuel said there's little chance Martinez will be with the Mets to start the season, even if he continues to hammer the ball. "That would be difficult in all honesty," Manuel said. "The center field part is very important for us now." Manuel's explanation was that the Mets are primarily looking for defense more than offense in center. "Right now ..."
Sox not blown away by perfect inning
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March 18
New York Post
 
"Jenrry Mejia mowed down the Red Sox yesterday — three up-three down. That said, the Met phenom didn't quite dazzle the most accomplished hitter he faced. The 20-year-old continued his exceptional spring, firing a perfect inning of relief in the Mets' 4-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Red Sox yesterday, needing only six pitches to retire Mike Cameron, Josh Reddick and Marco Scutaro. That's two Boston starters — Cameron and Scutaro — and one legitimate prospect on an elite team, on the road. That's hardly minimal competition. Though Cameron generally liked what he saw from Mejia, he was hardly wowed. "He's all right," Cameron said. "I thought it wasn't anything that was kind of a ..."
Don't be fooled by majestic March
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March 18
New York Post
 columnist Joel Sherman
"He is tempting. Oh boy, is Jenrry Mejia tempting. It is not just that he is talented. But he is talented and he can be pigeon-holed to fill an obvious Mets' need in the eighth inning. Not only that, he is homegrown and electric, a combination that makes him a human conversation changer, just at a moment when the Mets so desperately want to change the conversation from last year to this year; just when the job security of the manager and general manager is so tenuous that their long-term plans stretch to April. Mejia is the best aspect of spring training, that wonderful medley of imagination, hope, skill and novelty that annually obliterates reality, common sense, experience and ..."
Mejia has goods to rescue Mets
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March 18
New York Post
 columnist Kevin Kernan
"Talk to Jenrry Mejia and you learn that he's not scared of anything or anyone. You quickly realize something more important. The Mets young pitcher looks at baseball as a job. Combine that with electric stuff and you have everything you need to get to the majors, at any age. When I first met Mejia about a month ago, I got the same vibe from him that I got when I first met another young pitcher a long time ago. That pitcher's name was Mariano Rivera. I'm not saying they have the same ability, but their approach is similar. Mejia, 20, knows he belongs in the majors. He knows he can help the Mets now. He is a quick learner. There is nothing holding him back. Mejia should be at Citi Field come ..."
Off-speed pitches put New York Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey on right track
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March 18
New York Daily News
 
"Considering the way things have gone for the Mets since last year, it was no surprise to see trainers emerge from the dugout Wednesday after Mike Pelfrey started shaking his right hand on the mound at City of Palms Park. The trainers quickly went back inside after discovering that a small blister on Pelfrey's middle finger stung when he snapped off a slider. He was fine, and the day was more about the sizzle on his secondary pitches rather than another Met medical mishap. Pelfrey was terrific in four innings of work in the Mets' 4-2 victory over the Red Sox. Pitching against most of Boston's varsity, he allowed four hits and one run, striking out two and lowering his spring ERA to 6.30. He ..."
Mets' Jenrry Mejia blows away Red Sox to make case for bullpen role
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March 18
New York Daily News
 
"Jenrry Mejia needed only six pitches to retire Mike Cameron, Josh Reddick and Marco Scutaro in one inning of work yesterday against the Red Sox, continuing a sterling camp in which he has pitched himself into position for a bullpen role. "Very, very encouraging to see a young pitcher that has struggled with command and control come into big league camp and throw the amount of strikes that he's thrown," Jerry Manuel said. "That's impressive." Mejia, 20, has a 1.08 ERA in four outings with eight strikeouts in 8-1/3 innings. He could fill a late-inning role if the Mets decide that a guy who hasn't pitched above Double-A should make the team."
Martinez, an Understudy, Is Playing Like a Star
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March 18
New York Times
 
"The Mets put an entire story line on the team bus on Wednesday, sending all three contenders for the starting center-field job on the three-hour trip here to face the Boston Red Sox. Call it a road show, an audition or a showdown, but whatever it was, Angel Pagan, Fernando Martinez and Gary Matthews Jr., all started in the outfield as they tried to bolster their bids to take Carlos Beltran's spot until he returns from the disabled list in May. As it turns out, the player with the least chance of winning the starting job - Martinez - continued to outshine the competition. He was the one who actually started in center, and he was the one who hit a towering three-run home run in the eighth ..."
Jenrry Mejia moves step forward to joining big club
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March 17
Bergen Record
 
"When the Mets announced their first round of cuts Monday morning, clearing out about a quarter of the clubhouse, it gave Jenrry Mejia a step forward. His locker was along the front of the clubhouse, opposite the coffee machines and water cooler, away from the major league players. He spent most of his time sitting on the floor outside the showers, a way to get out of the constant flow of traffic. But with the room cleared, Mejia's belongings were plucked from his locker and moved into the row that features the Mets relievers with Francisco Rodriguez on one end and Pedro Feliciano on the other. In the middle of the bullpen row, it is just where Mejia might be when the season begins. Mejia ..."
Santana to face ex-mates
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March 17
New York Post
 
"Johan Santana will face some folks he knows pretty well on Friday. For the first time since being dealt from Minnesota to the Mets after the 2007 season, Santana will oppose the Twins. It's only a spring game, but Santana has yet to face the Twins in even a Grapefruit League exhibition since coming to New York. Whether the Twins will bring their star players -- Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau -- on a long bus ride remains to be seen. Santana spent his first eight seasons with Minnesota before being dealt to the Mets for Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra."
Crenshaw feels Reyes' painc
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March 17
New York Post
 
"After being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 25 years ago, Ben Crenshaw remembers, he needed around six months until he finally began feeling good on the golf course. Crenshaw, who has captured 19 PGA Tour titles and earned two Masters green jackets, has a sense of what Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is dealing with. In 1984, Crenshaw was battling the illness — he actually had Graves' disease — and in a phone interview with The Post, he said it dramatically affected both the way he felt and the way he played. Crenshaw took medication, and in general he's healthy now. But he still has to monitor his thyroid. He has his blood tested every five or six months to make sure the hyperthyroidism is gone, ..."
Wright must prove he's over '09 beaning
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March 17
New York Post
 columnist Kevin Kernan
"Watch closely this spring and you'll see that David Wright has changed. I'm not talking about the bulked-up Wright -- that's obvious. I'm talking about the more emotional Wright. He's no longer trying to play Mr. Perfect all the time, which is a good thing. He's not afraid to let his emotions show, like when he struck out Monday afternoon in the seventh inning against the Cardinals. He threw down his bat in anger, a few minutes later storming into the clubhouse. Wright knew that at-bat was coming. Not the strikeout, but this: He knew at some point this spring an opposing pitcher would fire a pitch around his head to see how he reacted. The Cardinals' Eduardo Sanchez did just that, and ..."
Mets' Kiko Calero positions himself to be Francisco Rodriguez's setup man
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March 17
New York Daily News
 
"Back before the 2003 season, Kiko Calero was thinking his chance with the Cardinals might be his last in baseball. He had pitched well in the Royals' system, but it had taken him six years to crack Triple-A. When he went to spring camp with the Cards, he told his wife, "Hey, baby, if I don't reach the big leagues this time, I'm coming home to finish college." But Calero was impressive enough to make the Cardinals at age 28. The next year, he pitched in the World Series for St. Louis and has forged a career as a reliable setup reliever since. "He's always been an underdog, but he finds a way to get it done," Omar Minaya said. Now Minaya is hoping Calero can continue thriving from difficult ..."
Uncertainty surrounds Fernando Martinez's opening day status, but New York Mets see improvement
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March 17
New York Daily News
 
"It depends on who you talk to whether or not Fernando Martinez has a shot to make the Mets - GM Omar Minaya has been quoted saying F-Mart is destined for Triple-A while Jerry Manuel threw him in the Carlos Beltran-less center field mix before backing off when asked if Martinez could be in center Opening Day. But one thing is sure about the 21-year-old prospect - he has made significant improvement this spring, Manuel said. "I've seen a more consistent hitter," Manuel said. "I've seen a guy who drives the ball a lot better. I thought last season, there was a struggle with the off-speed pitch. It was not a problem hitting a fastball, it was the off-speed pitch. "I've seen him make that ..."
Mets fifth starter competition likely to 'go down to the wire,' Jerry Manuel says
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March 16
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"After three rounds, the Mets' fifth starter competition remains a toss-up. Jon Niese and Fernando Nieve again made back-to-back appearances Monday and had nearly identical stat lines. Both allowed two earned runs in three innings in their third spring game. Neither did much to separate themselves from a pack that also includes Hisanori Takahashi. "I'd say it's close, it's very close," manager Jerry Manuel said. "Just like I mentioned early in spring, a lot might depend on how our bullpen shapes up as well. If we feel Fernando Nieve can fit there and make us better there, and if it's a flip of the coin, we're going to try to take the best 11 or 12 pitchers that we have." Still, Manuel said ..."
Mets' Francisco Rodriguez says he might wear red-tinted glasses all season
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March 16
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"A few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine Francisco Rodriguez on the mound without his glasses. They were part of what made him not just a pitcher but a personality, as much a part of his shtick as his post-save celebrations. "It used to be my look," Rodriguez said. "And I'm going to get it back." After switching to contact lenses in 2008, K-Rod went back to his red-tinted glasses in his first spring training appearance Monday. And because of the conjunctivitis that bothered him for more than two weeks early in camp, Rodriguez said the glasses might again become a permanent fixture. "I might use them the rest of the year," he said."
K-Rod off to a superb start
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March 16
The Journal News
 
"Francisco Rodriguez looked like the dominant pitcher he was with the Angels. K-Rod wore prescription sunglasses in a spring training debut delayed by conjunctivitis, the same look he used to have with the Angels. After Rodriguez retired the side on seven pitches Monday, Angel Pagan hit a two-run, ninth-inning homer off Pete Parise to give the New York Mets an 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Still unable to wear contact lenses after missing more than two weeks, Rodriguez said he felt sharp. He struck out his final batter. "My location was perfect," he said. "I had good command on my breaking pitches. I felt good out there. If I could do that the rest of the year, that would be ..."
Bad blood from inside pitch to Mets' Wright
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March 16
New York Post
 
"Keep an eye on the Mets-Cardinals meetings the rest of the spring. It might get interesting. Some Mets were not happy that a fastball by St. Louis' Eduardo Sanchez was a little too up and in on David Wright in the seventh inning of the Mets' 6-5 win over the Cardinals at Tradition Field. "We'll remember that," one Met told The Post. Wright, who was beaned by the Giants' Matt Cain last year and suffered a concussion, got out of the way of the pitch and later struck out in the at-bat. He disgustedly threw down his bat. "I was mad at myself. I missed some pitches I should have hit," Wright said."
Rodriguez's strong outing a big relief
Comment
March 16
New York Post
 columnist Kevin Kernan
"Step No. 1 for Francisco Rodriguez this season: Stick with the goggles. It makes you look more menacing. These days the Mets could use all the menacing they can get. Rodriguez went retro yesterday, wearing his orange-tinted goggles, which are really wrap-around sunglasses, in his first appearance of the spring. He made the switch to glasses because of his bout with pinkeye. He was terrific, blowing away the Cardinals in his one inning of work in the Mets' 6-5 win at Tradition Field. Angel Pagan drilled a two-run walk-off home run for the victory. When Rodriguez joined the Mets last season as a free agent, he was expecting big things. All he got was one big disappointment after another. ..."
Niese day: Jon has shot at Mets' No. 5
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March 16
New York Post
 
"There's no question Jonathon Niese has impressed Rod Barajas. The Mets catcher told The Post yesterday that not only does he believe Niese is ready for the majors, but said the 23-year-old lefty's stuff resembles that of Cliff Lee. Niese is part of the Mets' fifth-starter competition, along with Fernando Nieve, Nelson Figueroa and Hisanori Takahashi. Niese and Nieve were in action yesterday against the Cardinals, each pitching three innings and allowing two earned runs in the Mets' 6-5 victory. "I thought both of them threw OK today," pitching coach Dan Warthen said. "Neither one was exceptional.""
Jon Niese looks to be recovered from hamstring injury
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March 16
New York Daily News
 
"If Jon Niese had any lingering fears about the right hamstring injury that wrecked his season last year, Monday probably helped him get over them. Niese, who is battling for the fifth spot in the Mets' rotation, had to bolt off the mound to grab a ball that ricocheted off him, and later covered first on another play. He made each play and admitted it was good to be forced to do both in a game situation and not pitcher's fielding practice. "I think he's over those things," Jerry Manuel said. "He's exorcised those demons, if he had them." "When I got for those plays, I don't think about my hammy," said Niese, who tore his right hamstring on a fielding play Aug. 5. "Afterward, I'd be lying ..."
Dominating New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez might keep glasses
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March 16
New York Daily News
 
"Francisco Rodriguez leaned back against the wall near his locker Monday, still wearing the orange-tinted, wraparound glasses he sported on the mound minutes earlier in his first appearance of the spring. Get used to the look - K-Rod says he's probably sticking with the glasses instead of contacts after recovering from a bad bout of pinkeye. If their closer pitches the rest of the season the way he did Monday, every Met might want to wear a pair. Rodriguez was terrific, using only seven pitches in a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Cardinals, and was the winning pitcher in the Mets' 6-5 victory when Angel Pagan hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. For a club recently marked by ..."
Start of New York Mets' season shouldn't decide fate of manager Jerry Manuel
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March 16
New York Daily News
 
"This was the other morning in Port St. Lucie, a union meeting in the clubhouse just ending, the Mets ready to take the field, Ollie Perez ready to throw some hardball at a split-squad Tigers team. Jerry Manuel, who is worth rooting for as much as his team this season, has just been asked a question about Ike Davis, who is going to be some player at Citi Field someday, maybe sooner rather than later. Manuel is in his office at Tradition Field, a baseball bat in his hands, smiling at the mention of Davis' name. This is the oldest ceremony of baseball's spring, old baseball heads like Manuel talking about kids like Ike Davis. "A lot of these kids," the manager says, "come up here from the ..."
2 Mets Make Case, but Fifth Starter Is Still a Mystery
Comment
March 16
New York Times
 
"Two leading contenders for the fifth spot in the Mets' rotation pitched on Monday, but neither did anything to clarify who would win the job. Fernando Nieve gave up two runs and five hits with no strikeouts in three innings, and Jon Niese allowed three runs and four hits with two strikeouts. Both pitchers are returning from injuries, and their middling performances this spring have forced Manager Jerry Manuel to consider others for the role, including Nelson Figueroa, Pat Misch and Hisanori Takahashi, none of whom have given up a run. Takahashi is perhaps the biggest revelation, if only because he pitched in Japan his entire career. His ability to switch speeds and pinpoint his pitches ..."
Rodriguez Puts on His Glasses, and Mets Like What They See
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March 16
New York Times
 
"The Mets had no shortage of injuries last year, including wounded hips, elbows and knees. This year, at least, there is more variety to the team's continuing medical problems. Jose Reyes is dealing with a hyperactive thyroid and Francisco Rodriguez has spent much of the spring being semi-quarantined as he tries to recover from conjunctivitis, the contagious infection more commonly known as pinkeye. When Reyes will return is unclear. But Rodriguez made it to the mound Monday, pitching in a game for the first time this spring, and he did so in style, resurrecting the wraparound prescription glasses that look a little like goggles and, for several years, gave him something of a signature ..."
Roughed-up John Maine has his health
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March 15
Bergen Record
 
"Johan Santana was on his way out of the clubhouse, getting an early start on the road after his day of work was done, when he spotted John Maine heading into the trainer's room to get his right arm iced. Santana asked Maine, "Are you all right?" Maine replied that he was fine before adding an unprintable joke about his mound performance. Santana had pitched four shutout innings, but the fact that Maine could joke, then insist that he was all right after his performance in the Mets' 5-1 loss to the Marlins might have been the most encouraging sign. Maine has teetered along the fine line between intensity and insanity on days he struggles. And last year, those struggles came often as he ..."
Johan Santana sharp
Comment
March 15
Bergen Record
 
"On a team with few sure things, Johan Santana is one of the no-worry pieces. After a sluggish first effort this spring, the reliable and dominant Santana emerged Sunday, hurling four shutout innings and striking out four without a walk. With the season still a few weeks away, Santana said his fastball and change-up were in ready-for-primetime form, and with off-season elbow surgery behind him, he was able to throw an improved slider, adding another weapon to his arsenal. "Johan really pitched well," Jerry Manuel said. "I really like the fact that he's throwing a slider. That was probably to me the most impressive thing." "Every time you go out there you feel better about yourself and ..."
Hours spent drilling on 'little things' paying off for Johan Santana, Mets
Comment
March 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Johan Santana flicked a sign toward center field and Luis Castillo understood. He crept toward second base as Florida's Bryan Petersen ventured away with two outs in the fourth inning on Sunday afternoon. About an hour later, inside the Mets visiting clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium, Castillo spread his hands wide. "Sometimes when there are two outs," he said, "guys take a big lead." By the time he signaled to Castillo, Santana had already thrown 45 pitches and 32 strikes. He had struck out four Marlins. No runs crossed the plate. His only real threat came with Petersen's double to open the fourth. With his slider snapping and his command locked, Santana churned through the heart of ..."
Santana's latest Met tune-up a big hit
Comment
March 15
The Journal News
 
"Johan Santana resembled the pitcher on Sunday who many call the premier left-hander in the game the last six years. Santana pitched four scoreless innings against the Marlins, allowing three hits in his second spring-training start since undergoing surgery on his left elbow in September. Santana and fellow Venezuelan Anibal Sanchez left a scoreless game before the Marlins did all their scoring in the fifth off John Maine in a 5-1 victory. "I was able to throw all my pitches. I was more consistent keeping the ball down and throwing the ball better than last time," Santana said. "The most important thing is I don't feel anything in my elbow." In his first appearance this spring, Santana ..."
Santana's slider shows vintage bite
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March 15
New York Post
 
"The best news of the day for the Mets was that Johan Santana was able to get a lot more action on his slider. Coming back from September arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove bone chips, Santana threw four scoreless innings yesterday in the Mets' 5-1 loss to the Marlins. He allowed three hits and struck out four as owner Fred Wilpon watched from a suite. This will be the last time Santana will see the Marlins until Opening Day. "Johan really pitched well," manager Jerry Manuel said. "I really like the fact that he is throwing a slider now to the left-handed batters. Probably for me that was the most impressive thing.""
Mets righty 'not into' role -- and it shows
Comment
March 15
New York Post
 
"The question marks keep growing larger for everybody in the Mets rotation not named Johan Santana. John Maine, admitting he was not "that into it" because he was coming on in relief yesterday instead of starting, was hammered for five runs in two-thirds of an inning in a 5-1 loss to the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. After Santana pitched four scoreless innings, Maine got the first two outs of the fifth and then fell apart, surrendering three walks and three doubles, the final double a laser to left by Hanley Ramirez. "My mechanics felt fine," Maine said. "I just wasn't kind of that into it. It wasn't good. It's just I wasn't all that prepared.""
Mets pitcher Kiko Calero's slider on way back
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March 15
New York Daily News
 
"Kiko Calero, who signed a minor-league deal with the Mets on March 4, acknowledged he needs time to get his slider back to major-league caliber. The veteran reliever allowed an infield single, a walk and hit a batter but nonetheless pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Mets' 5-1 loss to Florida Sunday. Calero, 35, went 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA in 67 relief appearances for the Marlins last season. He noted his slider wasn't effective in part because he was throwing it overhand."
Mixed message: Johan Santana sharp for New York Mets against Florida Marlins; John Maine rocked
Comment
March 15
New York Daily News
 
"The next time Johan Santana faces the Marlins, he'll be opposing Josh Johnson on Opening Day at Citi Field. He already looks ready. Santana fired four scoreless innings against Florida Sunday, although the day wasn't entirely brilliant in the pitching department. John Maine, working in relief for the day as the Mets adjusted assignments to compensate for a rainout, was knocked out without completing the fifth inning. His line: two-thirds of an inning, five runs, three hits, three walks, no strikeouts. The Mets lost to Florida, 5-1."
With Maine as Linchpin, Rotation Remains a Mystery
Comment
March 15
New York Times
 
"Of the many questions surrounding the Mets' pitching staff, John Maine remains one of the biggest. Johan Santana and Oliver Perez, like Maine, are returning from injuries that cut short their seasons last year. But they have long-term contracts, more dominating pitches and expectations of throwing like aces. Maine is more inscrutable. At times during his four years with the Mets, he has pitched like an ace, most notably during the second-to-last game of the 2007 season, when he struck out 14 Florida Marlins. He also won two games during the 2006 playoffs. But for long stretches, he has worked in the shadows of stars like Santana, Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. Maine rarely dominates ..."
Mets Nation: Way Too Soon To Panic
Comment
March 14
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Here it is, one day before "The Ides of March" and the so-called pundits, as well as the vast majority of the Mets' faithful, are in full panic mode and have come to bury Caesar long before the body is cold. Come on everybody, 2009 was officially over on Oct 3. Or if you believe in the Julius Caesar calendar, how about 11:59PM and 59 seconds on December 31. Just because two out the top five players will not be in the starting lineup on opening day and the so-called starting rotation has looked a trifle bit shaky three weeks into spring training, it doesn't mean we should holding our Hari Kari swords about 18 inches from the point of entry. It's true that I have been a Mets fan since ..."
Amazin' power surge for Mets
Comment
March 14
Bergen Record
 
"The Mets suddenly have gone power mad. With a strong wind blowing out to right field, the Mets pounded four home runs in one inning of Saturday's 9-1 win over the Tigers, giving them 12 in their last six Grapefruit League games and a major league-best 20 this spring. So have their power problems been solved? Maybe not, but they'll take it. David Wright started it with his third of the spring, followed by two-run homers by Daniel Murphy and Gary Matthews Jr. and finally a three-run blast by Jason Bay - his first of the spring."
Hisanori Takahashi is all that Oliver Perez is not
Comment
March 14
Bergen Record
 
"Shortly after Oliver Perez had put the finishing touches on four hitless shutout innings, manager Jerry Manuel talked about the Mets' $36 million man getting a better grasp on his mechanics. Manuel was asked if the light bulb had gone on for Perez. "With Ollie, I don't know," Manuel said. "It's dim." And that may tell you all you need to know about Perez. Even on his best days, such as the 9-1 win over the Tigers at Tradition Field, he befuddles his manager and coaches. Will he keep his focus? Will he throw strikes? Will he remember his delivery? What made his mystery even more apparent Saturday was that while Perez was effective and walked just two batters - even if they came in ..."
Jose Reyes perfect example of why baseball needs HGH testing
Comment
March 14
Bergen Record
 columnist Bob Klapisch
"Only the most black-hearted souls could be unmoved by Jose Reyes' run of bad luck. Not only does the Mets' young star have an over-active thyroid, but he'll be on the disabled list (again) on Opening Day - and who knows when he'll return? The Mets seem trapped in an endless cycle of disappointment, particularly in Reyes' case. First, the hamstring injury, now the thyroid, both of which have come crashing down on a kid seemingly as innocent as a dove. But is Reyes' predicament just a case of an aggrieved baseball god? Or is there more to this story? It might take a monster not to pity Reyes, but it take an equal measure of naïveté to gloss over his association with Canadian doctor Tony ..."