The word around the team is to not expect d’Arnaud in Citi Field until after the All Star break, which is probably about the time he would have been promoted anyway (with or without this current injury). He needs to get the boot off, then rehab in St. Lucie, then return to Triple-A. It’s going to be at least four to six weeks before he gets to Vegas, assuming everything goes well.
Similarly, I no longer believe John Buck will be traded. It seems to me the coaching staff and front office think he’s worth more in leadership to this roster than he is in trade on the open market. In fact, if d’Arnaud comes up and hits, and if Harvey and Zack Wheeler pitch well, I actually think it increases the chances Buck is offered a one-year contract this winter to return as a back-up in 2014.
Zack Wheeler is scheduled to make his return to the Triple-A rotation this Wednesday.
Wheeler received a cortisone shot in the AC joint of his right shoulder at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan last week.
Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com:
If asked, I’d say Wheeler makes his big-league debut just after June 10, after an off day, in the middle of the team’s nine-game home stand.
In talking to people close to the situation, I think the Mets would like Wheeler to get three or four more starts at Triple-A Las Vegas, to put this shoulder situation behind him, before having him join the big-league rotation. In addition, they’d like him to be pitching well, and be strong. They do not want to promote him just to promote him. They want it to feel like a seamless transition, keeping him on rhythm and healthy.
The point is, his promotion is getting closer than ever… and it’s about time.
Chris Walendin, Contributor: Technically, the 2013 Mets are a hundred million dollar team. In fact, the team’s current payroll (as of this morning) sat at $102.2M. But here’s how that $102.2M breaks down:
Infield, $24.6M – If you just looked at the Mets infield, you might think that maybe this franchise was investing in its on-field product like a young, big market team should. Nearly half of this money covers team captain David Wright’s $11M salary, with $6M going to Buck, about $3M apiece to Davis & Murphy, and a league minimum stipend of roughly $500K to Tejada.
Outfield, $3.2M – Aaaand now that illusion is gone. Veteran Marlon Byrd tops the much-maligned bunch at $700K, with Duda, Baxter, Valdespin, Lagares, and new Met (sigh) Rick Ankiel taking home about a half a million each.
Rotation, $8.6M – The Mets’ most expensive offseason acquisition, Shaun Marcum, makes $4M, Jon Niese gets $3M, and the trio of Gee, Hefner, and Batman, er, Harvey collect $500K apiece.
Bullpen, $5.5M – Closer and recent arbitration qualifier Bobby Parnell makes $1.7M, veteran free agent LaTroy Hawkins makes $1M, Lyon makes about three-quarters of a million, and Burke, Rice, Carson, and McHugh make do with $500K each.
In total, that’s $41.9M being spent on the players on the field. But wait, wasn’t this a $100M team?
Disabled List, $39.2M – The man who gave the Mets their first no hitter is costing them $31M this year, and doesn’t project to throw a single pitch. This happens to pitchers, but man is it a tough pill to swallow. The only good news here is that Santana’s contract expires at the end of the season. Former closer Frank Francisco’s collecting $6.5M on the shelf, Atchison’s getting $700K, and Mejia and Familia are making the league minimum.
Gone, $21.1M – Many Mets fans rejoiced when perennial disappointment Jason Bay finally got the ax last fall. Unfortunately, the Mets still have to pay him. Handsomely. For one more year.
To recap, as of today, the Mets are paying 25 guys $41.9M to play baseball for them, and 6 guys $60.3M to not play baseball for them. That is not an optimal allocation of resources. But it’s the result of mistakes made primarily several years in the past. So hopefully it’s a problem we as fans won’t have to deal with (at least not to this degree) past the 2013 season.
In case you missed it, this past weekend, the Citi Field 2013 All-Star Batting Practice Jerseys were released on MLB.com, which you can check out here.
Also, Travis d’Arnaud will continue to wear a boot on his foot for the next two weeks, doctors told him last week, according to ESPN New York. D’Arnaud recently told MetsBlog he had hoped to shed the boot and begin rehabbing his broken toe this week.
Zack Wheeler received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder last week, he has rejoined Triple-A Las Vegas and will soon begin throwing.
People close to the team told me last week that Davis could realistically be demoted by the end of June, not the end of May. They expect him to turn it around, because he’s done it before, and they’re willing to give him a chance to do it again. However, the way I understand it, while the Front Office will certainly give Davis until Memorial Day to turn things around, I sense they’re completely confortable with the idea of eventually sending him to Triple-A. It just won’t be today or tomorrow, despite lots of fans getting very anxious about the situation.
According to Lynn Worthy of the Binghamton News, Montero is making a spot start for Las Vegas, and is expected to return to Binghamton afterwards.
In eight starts with Double-A Binghamton, Montero, 22, is 4-3 with a 3.47 ERA, having allowed 18 runs on 40 hits with just six walks and 54 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings.
Michael Baron, MetsBlog.com:
This is exciting news, even if it’s only for one start. Who knows? Maybe he sticks with Las Vegas, much like Collin McHugh stuck with Triple-A Buffalo a couple of years ago after making a spot start.
Montero has had only one bad outing but has been otherwise brilliant in the Eastern League this year. The organization has been so impressed with Montero’s command – especially that of his secondary pitches over the last year – and he really has put on a show while with Binghamton over the first two months of the season. He’s going to the Pacific Coast League where he will have to adjust to both better hitters and difficult elements, but if he sticks and continues along this path while in Vegas, there will be a lot of buzz about him getting a cup of coffee with the Mets come September.
Dillon Gee allowed three runs, all of which came on a two-run home run by Travis Wood in the fifth inning and a solo home run by Ryan Sweeney in the sixth inning.
Greg Burke worked out of Gee’s jam in the sixth inning to record a scoreless inning of relief. Scott Rice made his league-leading 25th appearance with two scoreless innings, as well.
Daniel Murphy hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning. He is now 15-for-his-last-29.
David Wright drove in a run with an RBI single in the sixth inning and Juan Lagares hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the seventh, his first career home run.
Bobby Parnell earned his sixth save in eight opportunities.
The Mets bullpen did not allow a baserunner in four innings today.
It was refreshing to see a little life from this offense today. They didn’t have it early, but they became sparked in the middle of this game, got a couple to fall in and hit two big home runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Gee started off strong, featuring a nice mix of breaking balls and change-ups over the first few innings. But he faded once again in the fifth inning and couldn’t get an out in the sixth inning. I was probably equally as mad about the home run he allowed to Wood as I was when Jeremy Hefner allowed the double to Scott Feldman yesterday, but the win helped to lighten my mood this afternoon. It’s hard to figure out what Gee’s problem is in the middle innings, but this has been a consistent problem for him all year long. If he’s going to survive in the rotation, he’s going to have to figure out how to provide more than four stable innings.
Bobby Parnell was nasty in the ninth inning today. He was as dominant as I’ve ever seen him. He’s got great demeanor and mound presence, and starting to develop into an excellent closer, finally.
It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win, and the Mets found a way to win this series in Chicago. Call it what you will, but I don’t care how they get it done as long as they win games.
W.B. Mason Post Game Extra
The Mets head home this afternoon and open a three-game series with the Reds tomorrow night at Citi Field, with Shaun Marcum facing Johnny Cueto at 7:10 pm.
The Good: David Wright is hitting .357 with three doubles, four home runs and eight RBI in May. He currently has a six-game hitting streak and his hitting .417 over that span.
The Bad: The Mets have scored three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 12 games and in 15 of their last 21 games. They are hitting .216 with runners in scoring position over its last 12 games.
The Pitching Matchups: Dillon Gee (2-5, 6.13 ERA) will start for the Mets. Gee got shelled in his last start against the Cardinals, allowing five earned runs and 12 base runners in only four innings of work. Gee has failed to go five innings for the third time in eight starts, and he’s pitched to a 6.30 ERA over his last four starts, going 1-2 over that span. Gee is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three career starts against the Cubs.
Travis Wood (4-2, 2.03 ERA) will start for the Cubs. Wood has been fantastic for Chicago so far this season, allowing three earned runs or less in all eight of his starts, two earned runs or less in seven of those starts, and only 49 base runners in 53 1/3 innings. Wood allowed only two hits in seven innings against the Rockies in his last start, and he’s 2-1 with a 1.68 ERA in three starts in May. Wood is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three career starts against the Mets.
New York Mets
1) Daniel Murphy – 2B
2) Justin Turner – 1B
3) David Wright – 3B
4) Marlon Byrd – RF
5) Lucas Duda – LF
6) Anthony Recker – C
7) Ruben Tejada – SS
8) Juan Lagares – CF
9) Dillon Gee – RHP
Chicago Cubs
1) David DeJesus – CF
2) Starlin Castro – SS
3) Anthony Rizzo – 1B
4) Ryan Sweeney – LF
5) Nate Schuerholtz – RF
6) Luis Valbuena – 3B
7) Wellington Castillo – C
8) Darwin Barney – 2B
9) Travis Wood – LHP
Michael Baron, MetsBlog.com:
Terry Collins said after yesterday’s game he intended to use Turner at first base and give John Buck a day off. Buck has played mostly everyday thanks in part to his early season production, but with Travis d’Arnaud sidelined for the foreseeable future, Buck is going to be the primary catcher indefinitely – he needs to be preserved at this point.
Daniel Murphy is in the leadoff spot today for the first time since 2009.
He batted leadoff four times during the 2009 season, during which we went 2-for-16 with two walks.
In his career, Murphy is 0-for-4 when leading off a game, but has hit .300 with a .349 OBP when leading off an inning.
“”I’ll see how it goes. … I figured I’d give it a shot and get him up there enough times and maybe he can do some damage.” Terry Collins explained to reporters about hitting Murphy leadoff.
Murphy is the seventh player Collins has used in the leadoff spot this season – the team is hitting .185 with a .255 OBP from the leadoff spot.
Michael Baron, MetsBlog.com:
At this point, why not? Is he a prototypical leadoff hitter? No, but nobody else on this team is either and the guy is scalding hot at the plate – he’s 14-for-his-last-25 and is riding a seven game hitting streak. Perhaps he can set the table and generate some runs early in this game, something the Mets have been struggling to do over the last few weeks. He can’t be any worse than the other guys to hit leadoff this season – lets see what he does…
Rapid Fire Video Mailbag, pres. by Verizon
In this rapid fire Video Mailbag, pres. by Verizon, MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone turns on his webcam to answer seven Mets questions in two minutes:
Photo: Tom Seaver and Tug McGraw at Shea Stadium, 1969
Outfield, $3.2M – Aaaand now that illusion is gone. Veteran Marlon Byrd tops the much-maligned bunch at $700K, with Duda, Baxter, Valdespin, Lagares, and new Met (sigh) Rick Ankiel taking home about a half a million each.
The Mets have promoted RHP Rafael Montero to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to the 
The Least You Should Know…
Daniel Murphy is in the leadoff spot today for the first time since 2009.
