Mets Daily Notes

[General]

Jose Reyes (finger) took infield practice Friday after hitting on Thursday.
"The main thing for him is to get over how he feels when he catches the ball, line drives and all that stuff," manager Willie Randolph said. "Once he gets over that, who knows, he might be playing (Saturday)."

[Providence A's]

seriously, is he going to play again soon or what? He was hot and helping one of my fantasy teams...now he's just sitting there doing nothing

[General]

Carlos Beltran was removed in the sixth inning of Sunday's game after the tendinitis in his knee flared up.
Beltran changed the anti-inflammatory medicine he has been taking and hopes the new medicine will fix the problem. Endy Chavez will continue to see time when Beltran is unable to play.

[General]

Mike Pelfrey will make his second career start on Tuesday.
Pelfrey, who is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, earned a win in his major league debut. The Mets will keep him in the rotation as long as he continues to pitch well

[General]

Endy Chavez and Carlos Beltran delivered RBI doubles in the top of the 10th in the Mets' 4-2 win over the Reds on Thursday.
The two-run inning came off Gary Majewski, who now has a loss and a blown save in three appearances for Cincinnati. After Tom Glavine allowed two runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, the Mets received 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief from Chad Bradford, Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano and Billy Wagner. Chavez is 10-for-28 with five RBI this month. He's been adequate offensively and excellent defensively, making him a pretty valuable reserve for the Mets.

[General]

The Mets scratched Orlando Hernandez from his start tonight and will use him Saturday instead.
He switched scheduled starts with John Maine. The change was made because of the poor weather in New York. The Mets didn't want to lose El Duque to a rain delay.

[General]

Pedro Martinez (hip, food poisoining) checked himself into a hospital on Friday night because the pitcher "wasn't feeling well," according to Mets director of media relations Jay Horwitz.
Martinez was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday, but his plans changed as thunderstorms moved through the area. The revised scheduled had him slated to throw one on Saturday, with a simulated game to follow on Sunday. It's unclear how much of a setback this is.

[General]

Mike Pelfrey suffered his first loss on Sunday after yielding five runs in 4 1/3 innings of work against the Astros.
Pelfrey was doing fine through the first four innings as he tried to become the first Met pitcher ever to win his first three big league starts. Instead, a Roy Oswalt single to start the fifth ignited a four-run inning that chased Pelfrey from the game. Pelfrey had struggled with his command in previous starts, and although he walked just one batter today, he did hit two Astros and was rather inefficient with his pitch count. Since John Maine made a strong case for staying in the rotation with a shutout Friday, it's possible that Pelfrey will return to the minors if Pedro Martinez returns next weekend as hoped.

[General]

Brian Bannister (hamstring) felt great after a 86-pitch simulated game on Friday.
"He's close to getting back to game situations," manager Willie Randolph said. "He's coming along really nicely but he has not been in a game yet. Obviously, he really aggravated that hamstring." Bannister is expected to make three or four minor league starts before rejoining the Mets.

[General]

Philip Humber allowed just one run and two hits over seven innings Monday for Single-A St. Lucie.
Humber, who returned from Tommy John surgery a month ago, is 3-1 wit a 2.73 ERA, 22 H and 29/7 K/BB in 33 IP for St. Lucie

[General]

Jose Valentin delivered a game-winning single off Glendon Rusch in the bottom of the 10th to give the Mets a 1-0 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.
Valentin drew some boos when he popped up a sacrifice attempt in the ninth inning, which hardly seemed fair with the way he's played this year. Any lingering resentment vanished with his bases-loaded single in the 10th. After Rusch got the first two outs of the inning, Carlos Beltran singled and Carlos Delgado doubled, putting runners on second and third. David Wright was then intentionally walked before Valentin lined one into center to win the game. Valentin also had the single that broke up the Cubs' no-hitter in the seventh inning, though it was a routine flyball that never should have dropped. The win snaps a three-game skid for the Mets.

John Maine extended his scoreless streak to 17 innings with seven shutout frames Wednesday in a no-decision versus the Cubs.
Back-to-back outstanding performance from Maine, though it does have to be noted that this and the shutout against the Astros have come against the two worst offenses in baseball. Maine struck out seven today, including the side in his final inning of work. He allowed three hits and walked three. Maine may have himself a permanent rotation spot now, and since he'll probably face the NL's third worst offense (Florida) next week, he has to be owned in NL-only leagues

[General]

Mike Pelfrey isn't expected to make a start for the Mets until Tuesday at the earliest.
The club wants to keep Tom Glavine on schedule to start Sunday. Pelfrey will be pitching on eight days' rest if he starts on Tuesday, so the Mets may try and give him an inning or two out of the bullpen this weekend.

[General]

Mets optioned RHP Heath Bell to Triple-A Norfolk.
Bell pitched 3 1/3 scorelesss innings in his nearly two weeks with the Mets. It's hard to see how the club needs relief help when it can afford to keep demoting the guy with the 3.20 ERA. J

[General]

Pedro Martinez, who had been out since June 28 with a hip injury and food poisoning, returned to the rotation on Friday by picking up a win after yielding four runs in six innings against the Braves.
Martinez gave up four runs on two singles, two doubles, and a walk in the first, then settled down to allow just two baserunners over the next five innings. He struck out just two tonight, but also needed only 77 pitches to retire 18 batters. You shouldn't hesitate in getting him back in your lineup.

[General]

Mets optioned RHP Mike Pelfrey to Triple-A Norfolk.
Pelfrey was 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP in his four starts for the Mets. He flashed his No. 2-starter potential at times, but he's going to have to be more consistent with his offspeed pitches in order to become a quality major leaguer. The demotion means John Maine will keep his rotation spot.