Mets Daily Notes

[General]

Victor Zambrano gave up seven runs and three homers in five innings Tuesday night in a loss to the Braves.
He's 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA. Zambrano doesn't have much value even in deep NL-only leagues, but he will be worth using against the Padres in Petco this weekend

[General]

Carlos Beltran said he ran the bases and took flyballs prior to Wedesday's game. He might be nearly ready to return from a hamstring injury.
"It feels better," Beltran said. "The tightness is still there, but the pain is out." He added that he could return to the starting lineup on Thursday.

[General]

Tom Glavine took a loss despite giving up two runs -- one earned -- in eight innings Wednesday against the Braves.
Glavine struck out five and walked one in his fourth straight quality start. He's 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA

David Wright committed his first three errors of the season at third base in Wednesday's loss.
The error in the seventh should have called a single, as Jeff Francoeur ripped a shot down the third-base line that one-hopped off Wright's chest. Far easier plays are called hits every day. Wright committed two more errors in the eighth, leading to the Braves' second run of the day.

Jose Valentin went 0-for-3 on Wednesday and is 0-for-15 since the beginning of the season.
Endy Chavez also started with Carlos Beltran and Cliff Floyd out again today and went 0-for-3, lowering his average to .071. The Mets not only miss their regular outfielders, but they could use Victor Diaz back, too

Anderson Hernandez is expected to go on the disabled list with a bulging disc in his back.
Rather than call up Jeff Keppinger, the Mets are likely going to activate Kaz Matsui and have him share time with Chris Woodward at second base. Maybe this will inspire the Mets to begin looking for an upgrade at the position.

[General]

Carlos Beltran is back in the starting lineup tonight after missing four games with a strained hamstring.
He's playing center field and batting third.

Floyd is also starting.

[Fishercat]

Beltran being out doesn't seem to have affected the Mets negatively. Could this actually be the year where their disappointments finally turn around and Omar Minaya's pillaging of his farm system gets him praise?

[General]

Doubt it.

[General]

An MRI showed no structural damage in Carlos Beltran's hamstring, but he wasn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game.
He's again available as a pinch-hitter

[General]

Victor Zambrano will start Saturday against Atlanta rather then be skipped in the rotation.
The Mets have a day off on Thursday and could have had Zambrano go to the bullpen until his spot in the rotation came around again, but they have decided to stay with him. He has been awful this season. He currently has a 9.64 ERA.

[General]

Five days after becoming the oldest player to hit a homer, Julio Franco on Wednesday became the second-oldest to steal a base.
Arlie Latham swiped a bag in 1909 for the New York Giants at age 49. Franco stole base base after delivering a two-run single as a pinch-hitter today. He's 4-for-10 with four RBI.

Go Julio!

[General]

Chris Woodward delivered a two-out RBI double in the top of the 10th inning off Giants reliever Scott Munter to give the Mets an 8-7 lead on Wednesday.
Jose Reyes followed with a single to score Woodward and make it 9-7. The Mets put 26 runners on base in the contest, nine more than the Giants did. Darren Oliver picked up his first win since the 2004 season by pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

[General]

Mets manager Willie Randolph has decided to push Victor Zambrano's start back to Monday.
Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine and Steve Trachsel will face the Braves this weekend.

[General]

Mets placed RHP Brian Bannister on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, with a strained right hamstring.
Since Bannister is on the DL, it's less likely that the Mets will pull Darren Oliver out of the pen to start Wednesday. They'll probably add a starter from Triple-A Norfolk, hopefully John Maine.

[General]

Pedro Martinez improved to 5-0 after allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings versus the Braves on Friday night.
Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner concluded the 5-2 victory. Martinez gave up four hits, walked one and struck out five. He has won four of his six career duels with the Braves' John Smoltz.

[General]

Tom Glavine pitched seven innings and combined with Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner on a five-hitter as the Mets beat the Braves 1-0 on Saturday night.
Glavine earned this after taking a loss in a duel with Tim Hudson 10 days ago. He barely outpitched John Thomson for the win tonight, making him 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA.

[General]

Steve Trachsel was hit hard for six runs in 3 2/3 innings versus the Braves on Sunday to fall to 2-2 on the season.
Trachsel had no command today after showing exceptional control to start the season. He walked five and even when he was in the strike zone the Braves were making solid contact. Trachsel had recorded quality starts in three of his previous four outings, so NL-only leagues will probably want to leave him active against the Braves on Friday.