Wright out with intercoastal strain, will rest 3-5 days

Sandy Alderson recently told reporters that David Wright has an intercoastal strain, and will rest for 3-5 days. The injury occurred during the World Baseball Classic. Speaking of which, Wright is now officially withdrawn from the tournament. 

"Is it possible that he'll be out for a period of time? Sure. But what he know right now is he's going to rest for 3-5 days" Alderson said. 

We could sit here and point fingers at the World Baseball Classic saying that the competition should be at a different point in the season --perhaps in November-- but I'm not gonna do that. I just can't believe that injuries like this can happen this early in the spring. I am not only talking about Wright, but any player on this team. When camp starts, you should be in top shape in order to avoid these kinds of injuries.

Now that I got that out of the way, we are going to have to move on and prepare to start the season without him. If you recall, Daniel Murphy has missed most of this spring with a similar injury, and is only now starting to appear in a few minor league games. The Mets have a few decent options out there, and if Wright is going to be out for an extended period of time, I'll do a separate article talking about just that. 

Mejia has forearm tendinitis, status currently in limbo

Jenrry Mejia has not pitched in a Grapefruit League game since last Monday due to forearm tendinitis. The Mets do not know when his next appearance will be. Last week, Mejia went to New York to get a thyroid problem checked out, but he was ultimately cleared for baseball activities. Also, it is worth mentioning that he came to camp late due to visa problems.

Believe it or not, Mejia was once hyped up just as much as Wheeler and Harvey. However, the organization hasn't decided what his role would be on the team, so they flip flopped him back and forth between a relief and starting pitcher.

Honestly, I don't think the Mejia experiment is over yet, despite the injuries, because he is still 23 years old and has loads of potential. Forearm tendinitis could sideline him for a while, but when he gets healthy again, I'd like to see him start the season in Triple-A. We have seen his weaknesses with his repertoire of pitches, and it is clear that he still needs to develop. I also hope that the organization makes him a relief pitcher, and sticks with it. He appears like he is capable of putting up high strikeout numbers, and he should thrive in that position if he could lower the walks. 

Mets send three to minor league camp

The Mets have sent Josh Satin, Wilmer Flores, and Carlos Torres to minor league camp. Satin hit .625 in 8 at-bats with the Mets this spring. Flores hit .143 in 21 at-bats. Torres posted a 8.44 ERA in 5.1 innings pitched.

I am very surprised that the club has cut both Flores and Satin. Flores had the chance to take the second-base job from Daniel Murphy, but he really didn't step up and make a good impression. I still expect that he will be closely watched at Triple-A, and possibly considered as trade bait once the trade deadline rolls around. As for Satin, he has no chance to make the team as a starter, but I thought he would be seriously considered to make it as a bench player. He is very versatile, and hit well during his brief stint with the team this spring. 

As for Torres, he didn't show much control on his pitches, and seemed to get rocked every time he was on the mound. He was an easier cut to make. 

Mets need to take a gamble on Boesch

The Detroit Tigers recently released outfielder Brennan Boesch, and the Mets are among the several teams that are interested in signing him. Boesch, 27,  hit .240 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI in 132 games for the Tigers last season. So far this spring, he has struggled mightily, hitting .188 in 16 at-bats. 

While Boesch isn't a franchise-player in any way possible, he would still be an upgrade over many of the options that the Mets are currently looking at. In 2011, he hit .283 with a .341 OBP and 16 home runs. At the time it seemed like he would be a Tiger for a long time, but many roster changes, like the signing of Torii Hunter, have limited his role on the team. 

There is no doubt that the Mets need some power in the lineup, and they should take a chance by picking him up. There is practically no-risk, and he is still young enough to turn his career around. I understand that he is one of the more streakier players in the game, but he is a lefty with some pop, and could seriously help out this team if he finds his old self again. 

Mets prospect Fulmer to have knee surgery, will miss start of season

Mets pitching prospect Michael Fulmer will have knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and will miss the start of the season. The Mets selected Fulmer in the first round (44th overall) of the 2011 draft with a compensation pick that earned due to the loss of Pedro Feliciano. Last season, in Single-A Savannah, Fulmer posted a 2.74 ERA in 21 starts, and struck out 108 batters in 101 innings pitched.

Fulmer has the potential to be a very good starting pitcher , but he is still a few years away from being ready to contribute in the big leagues. He has been overshadowed by bigger, well-known names such as Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey, but there will be a time where he will be able to prove himself. 

As for this injury, I am not terribly upset, considering that a meniscus injury takes roughly six weeks to rehab from. I would be ecstatic if Fulmer would be able to reach Triple-A sometime during the 2013 season, but realistically he'll probably just spend most of his time in Double-A. Regardless of where he plays, I will keeping a close eye on his stats, and hope that he progresses quickly. 

Wheeler, nine others re-assigned to minor league camp

The Mets announced that they have re-assigned 10 players to minor league camp. Those players are Zack Wheeler, Collin McHugh, Hansel Robles, Gonzalez Germen, Elvin Ramirez, Darin Gorski, Reese Havens, Juan Lagares, Wilfredo Tovar, and Cesar Puello. 

Despite Wheeler's oblique injury, he was most likely not going to make the Opening Day roster. He strained his oblique last week before his second scheduled appearance. However, once he is all healed up, the organization will obviously be keeping a close eye on him at Triple-A. If Johan Santana's injury problems continue to linger, I would imagine that Wheeler would be the first person to receive the call-up to replace him.

As for the other 9 players:

Collin McHugh- It is sort of surprising to see McHugh get cut this early in camp. He has had a rough spring, but I would have expected him and Jeremy Hefner to battle out a rotation spot. McHugh is going to need to have a very strong season in Triple-A to get back to the big leagues.

Hansel Robles- Robles has an incredible amount of potential, but is still several years away from being ready for the major leagues. His 17.18 ERA (in 2 appearances) this spring didn't exactly help his cause either. I am excited to see how he does in Double-A next season. Keep in mind that he is still 22 years old.

Gonzalez Germen- I didn't even know who Germen was until this spring, but it turns out that he is yet another young, promising arm in this organization. He has the velocity to be a dominant pitcher, but like Robles, he struggled this spring and is still years away from being ready to contribute.

Elvin Ramirez- Ramirez is another player that I didn't expect to get cut this early on in camp. The reason as to why he is going to start the season in Triple-A is because he walks too many batters. Ironically, the Mets brought him up last fall because he posted very good BB/9 ratios in the minor leagues. However, his ugly 7.4 BB/9 ratio this spring didn't help his case at all. 

Darin Gorski- Gorski didn't make the most of his time in Spring Training, and will most likely head back to Double-A, where he should be able to put up decent numbers. However, at 25 years of age, the clock is ticking for him, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the organization convert him to a relief pitcher.

Reese Havens- It's coming to that point where we can start calling Reese Havens a bust. The former first round pick hit .091 in 11 at-bats this spring while playing below average defense. The upside is there, but injuries have held him back his entire career, and it may be time to cut ties with the 26 year old.

Juan Lagares- Lagares is another guy who didn't hit very well this spring, but has a chance to be with the team sometime in 2013. I expect to see more of him, especially when you consider the weakness of the entire Mets outfield. 

Wilfredo Tovar- Tovar really didn't have a great chance to make the team out of camp, considering that the two middle infield positions are pretty much locked up already. He is a guy who has plenty of upside, but no role with this team going forward. I expect him to be packaged in a trade somewhere down the line. 

Cesar Puello- Puello is one of those players who has above-average speed, and just enough power to make him an all-around player. He was mentioned in the Miami-Clinic scandal from earlier in the spring, but I don't think that it influenced the team's decision to cut him. The bottom line is he hit .260 in Single-A last season, and still needs plenty of seasoning before he can be considered for a role on the big league team.

There are now 45 players left in camp, and here you will find a list of these players. 

How to handle this outfield situation

The outfield is a huge weakness for the Mets, and it is currently open competition at all three positions. There are plenty of outfielders still in camp that are looking for one of those starting jobs, and with Opening Day in the not-so-distant future, the Mets are going to have to commit to a select three that stand out. Here is how I would handle the outfield situation if I were the Mets:

Slide Cowgill over to left field, let him start.

Collin Cowgill has done nothing but impress so far this spring. He is hitting .429 with a .520 on-base percentage in 9 games. He was brought over to Queens to be a fourth outfielder at best, but it seems like Sandy Alderson found a gem instead. Cowgill's scrappiness and versatility will solidify him a roster spot, and he should be able to handle a corner outfield position.

Now, you are probably saying, well what about Lucas Duda? Well, Duda has had a iffy spring, and definitely hasn't solidified a spot in the outfield.  I am not a huge supporter of his, so I would be quick to replace him. I never really got the feeling that he was capable of hitting 25-30 home runs, given that he never hit over 23 in a single minor league season. Personally, rather than stick him on the bench, I would put him in Triple-A, give him every-day at bats which would hopefully raise his value, and ship him off in a trade.

Give den Dekker a chance in center-field

We have heard Matt den Dekker's name throughout the organization for the last couple of years, and at age 25, we know that his opportunity for a starting job is slipping. His offense seems like it will be an on-going problem, but his above-average defense makes him look like a star. Now, would the Mets be willing to sacrifice some offense in order to add a possible Gold-Glover out in center-field? I would definitely advocate that idea.

Now, what happens to Kirk Nieuwenhuis? He has been injured for quite some time this spring, and his job seems to be slipping away with each passing day. It is also worth mentioning that he has a dreadful .056 batting average in 18 at-bats with the club this spring. 

Let Marlon Byrd take over right field.

Marlon Byrd WILL make this club out of Spring Training, it is just a matter of whether he will be a starter or not. So far this spring, he has proven that he still has some talent left in the tank, evident by his .400 batting average. There isn't as much competition in right field, considering that Andrew Brown and Mike Baxter aren't as proven and experienced as Byrd. Let Byrd take the job, and if he has success flip him at the deadline for a moderate level prospect.

But wait, what happens to Jordany Valdespin? Valdespin has been tearing it up this spring, and I feel like he still has too many minor flaws in his game that could eventually lead to struggles at the big league level. I'd stash him in Triple-A, give him every-day at-bats, and if Byrd struggles/gets traded, then bring up Valdespin and see what he can do. 

Mets re-assign three to minors camp

The Mets have announced that they have re-assigned Cory Mazzoni, Rafael Montero and Juan Centeno to minor league camp. Mazzoni posted a 3.38 ERA in eight innings for the Mets this spring. Montero put up a 4.50 ERA in 4 innings of work. Centeno went 0-for-1 in two games for the team. 

I'm actually surprised that Mazzoni got cut this early. With Santana's status currently in limbo, the Mets should be looked at arms like his to fill his spot for the first few weeks of the season. Honestly I didn't expect Mazzoni to have much success with the team this spring, but I learned about him during the brief time that he was here, and I hope that he makes some noise in Triple-A.

As for Montero, we all know about his electric arm, but there was no way that he was going to make this team. He clearly needs more seasoning in the minors, and the organization expects him to be a solid contributor for the team within 2-3 years or so. He is definitely a guy to keep an eye on though, because he  has the capability of rising through the system quickly. 

Finally, Centeno didn't really get much of a chance to prove himself in the camp, but he still does have potential to be decent down the road. On the depth chart, he is probably the fifth or sixth string catcher, but if makes some noise with the bat in the minors next season, there is a good chance that he could be either trade bait or a solid backup to Travis d'Arnaud.