Valentin to the DL
-
- April
- 30
Kevin here, with more bad injury news for the Mets: they’ve placed second baseman Jose Valentin on the disabled list with a partial tear in the ACL in his right knee.
According to Valentin, Randolph and Omar Minaya, Valentin will miss 2-4 weeks. I’m not buying it. Valentin missed three months with a torn ACL in 2005 and, after coming back for the Dodgers in September, shut himself down because he was uncomfortable in his knee brace.
Valentin won’t go to Port St. Lucie for “two or three weeks,” which is when he’ll start running and rehabbing the knee. He’ll spend time there and then go and play a weeks worth of rehab games in the minors. I hate to sound pessimistic, but that sounds like a little more than four weeks to me.
It’s poor timing, too, because May and June were Valentin’s biggest months last year. He really broke out and was playing well over the past two weeks. This is a bigger loss than the outside probably realizes. Valentin isn’t your everyday No. 8 hitter.
Damion Easley will likely see the bulk of the time at second. Ruben Gotay has been called up to fill the roster. He was chosen over Anderson Hernandez because he “was playing well of late” according to Minaya. Gotay, a 24-year old switch hitter, was hitting .256 with 12 runs, 13 RBI, 14 walks and 14 Ks in 23 games for the Zephyrs.
Here’s tonight’s lineup:
Reyes, SS
Lo Duca, C
Beltran, CF
Delgado, 1B
Wright, 3B
Alou, LF
Green, RF
Easley, 2B
Park, P
Be back later
This entry was posted
on Monday, April 30th, 2007 at 5:10 pm by John Delcos.
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it sucks, but easley’s a good player. every team gets its share of injuries, but not every team has depth like the mets have in a guy like easley. that’s important.
I think infield, catcher and the bullpen are the weak links as far as depth is concerned. With Easley playing every day there is nobody ready to play if another infielder gets hurt. There is no first baseman ready to play unless they would move Green to first if needed. There is no bullpen help until game 50, and there is nothing at catcher except two really over the hill guys.
Yea with a partial tear, I definitely do not buy him missing only a month. It’s amazing how fast a muscle will atrophiate once a ligament weakens. He will have to work hard to get back to that shape especially at his age.
Seems a bit pessimistic, Mel. We have good, young ballplayers ie B Johnson, Thrilledge, and Gotay. Mark my words, Gotay will surprise people. Also, we have some 1b in the minors…Carp, Abreu. This injury hurts, but we will be fine. How hard is it to replace a #8 hitter (albeit one of the best).
I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you’re making it out to be. ValentÃÂn’s offense was bound to be poor anyway; the greatest thing the Mets lose is his defense, at which I hear Gotay is pretty good. Hopefully Gotay will get some starts at second base- he’s a switch hitter, but is better from the left side. But Mr. Randolph has probably already penciled Easley in as ‘my go-to-guy, who hits eighth and plays second base,’ an rigid entrenchment from which there is no escape. Oh well.
I bet Minaya is already looking for a 2B.
I agree with Kevin in his assessment of Valentin. He is an excellent 2b with a good bat. Early in the season I watched him work the pitcher and he helped solidify the lineup.
We were pretty strong 1-8. Now it is 1-7, still not bad, but we will miss his glove and bat.
Dave