Carlos Beltran last played a game for the Mets way back on June 21. At that time, the Mets still had a shot at making the postseason in 2009.
A lot has changed since then.
Well out of the playoff hunt, Beltran will return to the Mets tonight after somewhat recovering from the bone bruise in his knee and a rehab stint with the Brooklyn Cyclones.
In five games with Brooklyn, Beltran went 3-20 with two RBI, two walks and five strikeouts.
The person this likely effects most is Angel Pagan who has been playing the majority of time in centerfield in Beltran’s absence.
Pagan has often shown flashes of brilliance but also glimpses of ineptness at the position. How many close calls have you seen between Pagan and one of the corner outfielders calling for a ball?
Beltran is one of, if not the best centerfielder in the game. Pagan is a great No. 4 outfielder who is capable of filling in at any outfield position for a decent amount of time.
Over the rest of the season, the Mets should let Beltran test his knee and get in some playing time, but I still want to see Pagan in the outfield to see if he’s worth it for 2010.