The LoHud Mets Blog

Carlos Beltran appears to be OK after he left the game in the ninth inning. The center fielder was seen by a doctor in the clubhouse and was told the knee was sound.

Beltran said his leg bent back when he collided with home plate umpire Ed Rapuano and he felt a pinch behind his knee. The doctor told him he likely aggravated cartilage. They expect it to be sore tomorrow but he shouldn’t be out any extended period of time.

Beltran is day-to-day. He will determine before tomorrow night’s game whether or not he can play.

“I’m not worried,” he said. “I don’t feel like it’s something where I need to worry. Tomorrow I’ll just come to the ballpark early, run a little bit and see how I feel.”

Beltran didn’t blame Rapuano. “It is unusual, but it happens,” he said.

Other news:

— Jose Reyes (neck) felt pain in his neck after colliding with Rickie Weeks as he legged out a double to lead off the game. Reyes was visited by Jerry Manuel and trainer Ray Ramirez but remained in the game. “It’s fine,” Reyes said. “I’m OK.”

— Billy Wagner (elbow) threw 25 pitches off a mound at Shea today. “It’s encouraging news,” Tony Bernazard said. The Mets will see how Wagner feels before determining his next step, but playing in Brooklyn this week is now a real possibility.

— Manuel said it isn’t a red flag that Pedro Martinez returned to New York. Pedro, and the organization, felt his aging body could benefit from 1-on-1 work at Shea. Here — especially with the expanded roster — Pedro wouldn’t have received as much attention from the staff.

Martinez felt he needed to work on getting limber. On Sunday, Pedro felt he never got loose. “He really didn’t get free out there,” Manuel said. “He felt like that was something he needed to do.”

— Fernando Martinez is headed home for now, but he will play winter ball in the Dominican. Here’s John Ricco on F-Mart: “It’s not really a need (outfielders), but also Fernando missed a good portion of the season and he’s just kind of getting back on his feet.”

— Here’s Ricco on Eddie Kunz: “You have to decide who is going to be the best group to get you to the finish line here. We made a judgment, based on the numbers and the makeup of the pen that he wouldn’t be one of them.”

Be Sociable, Share!

•