The Mets are underway against the Marlins in Port St. Lucie. The rest of the team is playing the Orioles as part of a split squad day. The Mets/Marlins game is available on CW11.
Lineup:
SS Jose Reyes
LF Brady Clark
3B David Wright
RF Ryan Church
1B Olmendo Saenz
CF Endy Chavez
DH Damion Easley
C Brian Schneider
2B Argenis Reyes
RH Mike Pelfrey
Church, Chavez, Easley, and Schneider are all back in the lineup after sitting with injuries.
Intrigued to see how Pelfrey does as he tries to lock up the 5th spot in the rotation.
Duaner Sanchez is supposedly slated to pitch an inning out of the bullpen today.
3/8/08
Church takes BP; Sanchez hopefully a go for today
Ryan Church, who is recovering from a Grade 2 concussion after a collision last Saturday, took batting practice today.
The Mets are waiting to see how Church feels to see if he will be able to get in one of the the lineups today. The Mets have two games, one home against the Marlins at 1:10 p.m. which is available on CW11 and an away game against the Orioles at 1:05 p.m.
Hopefully Church is finally beyond any lingering dizziness or nausea from the misplay in the field. I still remain one of Church's strong supporters, so I hope he can get back into a game and start swinging a hot bat.
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Duaner Sanchez aims to make an appearance in one of the games today, as he tries to recover from two injuries.
With all the injuries, and the first cuts of spring coming already, the Mets need everyone they can get to play in a game.
One can only hope that Sanchez returns to his 2006 form, otherwise a spot for a guy like Steven Register, who has 4 shut out innings of baseball under his belt, may present itself.
The Mets are waiting to see how Church feels to see if he will be able to get in one of the the lineups today. The Mets have two games, one home against the Marlins at 1:10 p.m. which is available on CW11 and an away game against the Orioles at 1:05 p.m.
Hopefully Church is finally beyond any lingering dizziness or nausea from the misplay in the field. I still remain one of Church's strong supporters, so I hope he can get back into a game and start swinging a hot bat.
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Duaner Sanchez aims to make an appearance in one of the games today, as he tries to recover from two injuries.
With all the injuries, and the first cuts of spring coming already, the Mets need everyone they can get to play in a game.
One can only hope that Sanchez returns to his 2006 form, otherwise a spot for a guy like Steven Register, who has 4 shut out innings of baseball under his belt, may present itself.
The left field paradox
Moises Alou is old. Old and broken.
The Mets are in desperate need of a left fielder, and with GM Omar Minaya apparently unwilling to catapult Fernando Martinez from AA to the bigs, the spot can go to any host of players already in camp.
The three players who are leading the pack, in order, are Angel Pagan, Endy Chavez and Brady Clark.
Pagan is absolutely tearing up spring training, batting .438 (14-32). The only qualm I have here is that thirteen of those hits are singles, with his first double coming in Fridays game against the Indians. He has driven in 6 runs so far, which is twice as many as the player with the second most. He has shown decent defense in the field, and being one of the only healthy players left on the team, he is getting the opportunity to show what he can do.
Endy is a fan favorite who is trying to recover from a ton of injuries from playing in winter ball. Chavez injured both his hamstrings and his ankle playing in Venezuela. Chavez plans on getting into a game on Saturday, when the Mets have split squad games against the Orioles and the Marlins. Due to his injuries, I think Chavez has fallen out of the top spot for the LF job that would have easily been his had he been healthy coming into Port St. Lucie.
Clark is an interesting case. In his major league career, he has never started anywhere but the outfield, but he has recently expressed interest in working at first base, something that might help him land a job with the Mets. If Clark can keep hitting (.273 AVG, .360 OBP, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and play a decent outfield and first base, he may be able to hang on with the team. Ruben Gotay going down with a sprained ankle might open up a roster spot for Clark to jump in.
Right now, I see the outfield as Pagan/Beltran/Church to start. The Mets have also been exploring options to find someone to platoon with Church in right field. Chavez and Clark, and also guys like Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley, will probably see time in the outfield this season.
It should be interesting to see who makes the team out of spring training and who has to wait in AAA, or for injuries to heal, to make it to the bigs.
The Mets are in desperate need of a left fielder, and with GM Omar Minaya apparently unwilling to catapult Fernando Martinez from AA to the bigs, the spot can go to any host of players already in camp.
The three players who are leading the pack, in order, are Angel Pagan, Endy Chavez and Brady Clark.
Pagan is absolutely tearing up spring training, batting .438 (14-32). The only qualm I have here is that thirteen of those hits are singles, with his first double coming in Fridays game against the Indians. He has driven in 6 runs so far, which is twice as many as the player with the second most. He has shown decent defense in the field, and being one of the only healthy players left on the team, he is getting the opportunity to show what he can do.
Endy is a fan favorite who is trying to recover from a ton of injuries from playing in winter ball. Chavez injured both his hamstrings and his ankle playing in Venezuela. Chavez plans on getting into a game on Saturday, when the Mets have split squad games against the Orioles and the Marlins. Due to his injuries, I think Chavez has fallen out of the top spot for the LF job that would have easily been his had he been healthy coming into Port St. Lucie.
Clark is an interesting case. In his major league career, he has never started anywhere but the outfield, but he has recently expressed interest in working at first base, something that might help him land a job with the Mets. If Clark can keep hitting (.273 AVG, .360 OBP, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and play a decent outfield and first base, he may be able to hang on with the team. Ruben Gotay going down with a sprained ankle might open up a roster spot for Clark to jump in.
Right now, I see the outfield as Pagan/Beltran/Church to start. The Mets have also been exploring options to find someone to platoon with Church in right field. Chavez and Clark, and also guys like Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley, will probably see time in the outfield this season.
It should be interesting to see who makes the team out of spring training and who has to wait in AAA, or for injuries to heal, to make it to the bigs.
3/7/08
Martinez has a changeup too
We've all heard the talk and seen the dissection of Johan Santana's changeup, so some might forget that Pedro Martinez has one too.
From Ben Shpigel:
The Mets need Martinez to put together a nice string of starts, eating some innings and keeping games within reach, which I believe he is perfectly capable of. The team no longer needs the dominant, shut down pitcher he once was, but a crafty guy, a la Tom Glavine.
From Ben Shpigel:
MartÃnez said he was pleased with his changeup and fastball, although his curveball needed refining. His body, he said, felt “sluggish” because he was not used to pitching so early in the morning. But his arm felt good, and so did the rest of him, he said.If Pedro thinks he's "there," I'll take his word for it.
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“As far as my health and my pitches, I’m right there, I’m right there,” MartÃnez said. “I’m making pitches and I’m getting the amount of pitches that I need.”
The Mets need Martinez to put together a nice string of starts, eating some innings and keeping games within reach, which I believe he is perfectly capable of. The team no longer needs the dominant, shut down pitcher he once was, but a crafty guy, a la Tom Glavine.
Photo of the Day: Pagan
Angel Pagan does his best Michael Jordan impression, but cannot come up with the baseball as two runs score on the play.Pagan, who is hitting well over .400 during spring training, is my leading candidate to start in left field.
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Game Recap: Mets 8 -- Indians 6
Oliver Perez was not on top of his game today, giving up 6 runs (3 earned) in only 2 2-3 of an inning. Still, the Mets triumphed by a score of 8 to 6.
Ollie's final line was 2 2-3, giving up 6 hits, the 6 runs (3 earned), while walking 2 and striking out 2. He's sporting an 11.57 ERA so far this spring.
I didn't see the game, the Mets staked him to a 2-0 lead in the first, and 4-1 lead in the third, where 5 more runs where charged to OP.
Nelson Figueroa made his case for a spot in the bullpen, with another strong outing today. Figueroa pitched 3 1-3, giving up 3 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 2 batters. He's still maintaining a 0.00 ERA.
As good as he looks, I can't see him making the team. He'll probably head to AAA and wait until an injury comes along for him to make it to Shea.
Matt Wise, Pedro Feliciano and Carlos Muniz each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game. Wise gave up 2 hits and Feliciano gave up 1. Wise struck out 2 and Muniz struck out 1, while earning the save.
Wise will make the team, as will Feliciano. Muniz, maybe in a few years.
Angel Pagan continued to tear up spring training, going 2-4, scoring and driving in one run.
Endy Chavez will be back in the lineup this weekend, but Pagan may have leapfrogged him for the starting left field position.
Olmedo Saenz went 2-4, driving in two runs and scoring two runs. Saenz hit a HR in the 4th inning off Rafael Bentancourt. Robinson Cancel, who started at first base today, also added a home run, a solo shot off Joe Borowski. He also drove in 2 and scored twice.
Surprise! I'm amazed Saenz did anything. Anything at all. Cancel at first? Anyone? Anyone? Thought so.
The Mets continue to stay hot, especially with this "C" team out there and a struggling Ollie. The Mets are undefeated in March!
Ollie's final line was 2 2-3, giving up 6 hits, the 6 runs (3 earned), while walking 2 and striking out 2. He's sporting an 11.57 ERA so far this spring.
I didn't see the game, the Mets staked him to a 2-0 lead in the first, and 4-1 lead in the third, where 5 more runs where charged to OP.
Nelson Figueroa made his case for a spot in the bullpen, with another strong outing today. Figueroa pitched 3 1-3, giving up 3 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 2 batters. He's still maintaining a 0.00 ERA.
As good as he looks, I can't see him making the team. He'll probably head to AAA and wait until an injury comes along for him to make it to Shea.
Matt Wise, Pedro Feliciano and Carlos Muniz each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game. Wise gave up 2 hits and Feliciano gave up 1. Wise struck out 2 and Muniz struck out 1, while earning the save.
Wise will make the team, as will Feliciano. Muniz, maybe in a few years.
Angel Pagan continued to tear up spring training, going 2-4, scoring and driving in one run.
Endy Chavez will be back in the lineup this weekend, but Pagan may have leapfrogged him for the starting left field position.
Olmedo Saenz went 2-4, driving in two runs and scoring two runs. Saenz hit a HR in the 4th inning off Rafael Bentancourt. Robinson Cancel, who started at first base today, also added a home run, a solo shot off Joe Borowski. He also drove in 2 and scored twice.
Surprise! I'm amazed Saenz did anything. Anything at all. Cancel at first? Anyone? Anyone? Thought so.
The Mets continue to stay hot, especially with this "C" team out there and a struggling Ollie. The Mets are undefeated in March!
Lineup vs. the Indians
The Mets will take on the Cleveland Indians at 1:05 p.m. and it will be televised on ESPN.
Lineup:
LF Ezequiel Carrera
SS Anderson Hernandez
CF Angel Pagan
DH Olmedo Saenz
C Raul Casanova
RF Fernando Martinez
1B Robinson Cancel
3B Dan Murphy
2B Argenis Reyes
LHP Oliver Perez
Boy, they're really running out the A-team for the national crowd.
I'm shocked that Cancel, a catcher, is getting the start at first base today. I'm not expecting anything out of Perez today, especially with this lineup behind him. He just needs to get the reps in and hopefully stays uninjured.
Lineup:
LF Ezequiel Carrera
SS Anderson Hernandez
CF Angel Pagan
DH Olmedo Saenz
C Raul Casanova
RF Fernando Martinez
1B Robinson Cancel
3B Dan Murphy
2B Argenis Reyes
LHP Oliver Perez
Boy, they're really running out the A-team for the national crowd.
I'm shocked that Cancel, a catcher, is getting the start at first base today. I'm not expecting anything out of Perez today, especially with this lineup behind him. He just needs to get the reps in and hopefully stays uninjured.
Pedro pitches in sim-game
Pedro Martinez, who was rained out of his first spring start last night, pitched in a simulated game this morning, facing Damion Easley and Endy Chavez.
Pedro threw 53 pitches to Brian Schneider, who was behind the plate for the simulation, according to Bart Hubbuch. There were no fielders for the game.
John Delcos quotes Pedro as saying, "I didn’t feel as comfortable as the other day, but I still got pretty good work in."
From Delcos:
It's good to see Pedro finally throwing real pitches to real batters, but I sitll want to see him in a real game. This 1-2 punch of Johan Santana and Pedro only works if Pedro can stay healthy and effective.
Pedro threw 53 pitches to Brian Schneider, who was behind the plate for the simulation, according to Bart Hubbuch. There were no fielders for the game.
John Delcos quotes Pedro as saying, "I didn’t feel as comfortable as the other day, but I still got pretty good work in."
From Delcos:
It’s hard to judge in a simulated game, but Martinez threw only two swing-and-miss and miss pitches, and indication his ball wasn’t moving as well as he would have liked.Easley had the most success, as he hit what would have been two doubles.
It's good to see Pedro finally throwing real pitches to real batters, but I sitll want to see him in a real game. This 1-2 punch of Johan Santana and Pedro only works if Pedro can stay healthy and effective.
Martinez will not be rushed
Any hopes you might have had to see Fernando Martinez starting the season at Shea have just been crushed by Omar Minaya.
Minaya told reporters that bringing Martinez up to be a part of the Mets bench "won't happen," according to John Delcos.
There is no doubt in my mind that he'll be a staple of the Mets very soon, but he just has to wait his chance. This leaves the option to keep Brady Clark on board as a possibility.
Minaya told reporters that bringing Martinez up to be a part of the Mets bench "won't happen," according to John Delcos.
There is no doubt in my mind that he'll be a staple of the Mets very soon, but he just has to wait his chance. This leaves the option to keep Brady Clark on board as a possibility.
Updated: The first cuts of the spring (full list)
I reported the six unofficial first cuts of spring yesterday, and now the full list is out.
From Jeremy Cothran:
From Jeremy Cothran:
- LHP Adam Bostick
- RHP Robert Parnell
- RHP Eddie Kunz
- RHP Juan Padilla
- RHP Andy Cavazos
- RHP Brant Rustich
- RHP Ivan Maldonado
- LHP Jonathan Niese
- LHP Ryan Cullen
- C Salomon Manriquez
- C Mike Nickeas
- INF Anderson Machado
- OF Ben Johnson
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