The Mets have released Livan Hernandez and activated Billy Wagner off the disabled list. Hernandez had been awful in his past three starts, getting rocked in every outing. He allowed 18 runs in a little more than 14 innings. He hasn’t won since July 26, and the Mets have only won two of his last 10 starts.
Jerry Manuel said he hopes to get Wagner in tonight’s game. He’d likely pitch in the seventh or eighth inning, depending on the score. The Mets reportedly placed him on waivers, but it’s unlikely anybody is going to pick him up.
Both Wagner and Gary Sheffield are subject of trade rumors. Once Wagner is cleared from waivers and if he pitches well, he could be trade bait. However, he has a no-trade clause, so it would have to be to his liking. Sheffield was originally penciled in to tonight’s game but was replaced by Cory Sullivan. He apparently needs a night off, even though he claims he’s 100% healthy.
Now that Hernandez is no longer with the team, the question is who will take his place in the starting rotation. The answer right now is Tim Redding, though he’s also been awful. The Mets just don’t have any options right now and won’t until the expansion to the 40-man roster. With the Mets out of any race, they could give some youngsters some experience and auditions.
