David Lennon in Newsday relays info that Pedro Martinez has begun throwing off a mound in Port St. Lucie.
According to Assistant GM John Ricco, Pedro could face live hitters as early as this week, but in the end, "it just depends on how he's feeling. Patience is part of the process."
A few weeks ago, Pedro was not missed. Now, with Mike Pelfrey beginning to struggle a bit, the Mets could use a guy like him back in the rotation. Don't hurry yourself, Pedro.
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Adam Rubin reports in The Daily News that both Matt Wise and Ramon Castro may be activated by next weekend's series against the Cincinnati Reds.Wise, who went on the DL with a strained forearm on April 2, is expected to throw in back-to-back games to test his arm and stamina, a la Duaner Sanchez's recovery benchmarks.
Castro could have been actiavated already, according to Rubin, but the Mets don't want two catchers with health issues on the roster at the same time. Leaving Raul Casanova up with the big squad gives them a steady, healthy catcher in case Brian Schneider can't go due to his thumb.
When Wise comes back, the Mets have a decision to make. Joe Smith has options, and is the most likely one to head back to AAA. So does Jorge Sosa, who before Arizona was almost entirely ineffective. Joe Janish from Mets Today also points out Aaron Heilman has options, but I think some barnyard animals need to sprout wings and take to the air before he goes anywhere.
And I've missed the Darth Vader walk-up music at Shea this year. Great to see Castro coming back soon.