Amazin' Stories

Mets release on Beltran

MEDICAL UPDATE ON CARLOS BELTRAN June 30, 2009 – Outfielder Carlos Beltran was seen by Dr. Richard Steadman yesterday for a second opinion. Dr. Steadman agreed with Mets Team doctors that the bone bruises in Carlos' knee were causing the pain. Dr. Steadman also agreed with the Mets doctors’ plans to rest the knee until he is pain free and then start him back on activity as tolerated. The Mets doctors will see him back in New York this week for further treatment. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Lineup

It's a beautiful day here in Viera, Florida for a B-squad game, the regulars staying behind in Port St. Lucie...What, this is regular season? This is the best the Mets can do with the remnants of a $143 million payroll? Uh, yup.

There are three players in the lineup who started the season in the minors, three more who were supposed to be role players and that includes Fernando Tatis, who gets just his second start of the season at second base. At least the Argenis Reyes leadoff experiment ended after one day.

Alex Cora SS
Fernando Tatis 2B
David Wright 3B
Gary Sheffield LF
Ryan Church RF
Nick Evans 1B
Fernando Martinez LF
Omir Santos C
Johan Santana P

Beltran Gets Reassuring News

A person familiar with the results of the examination in Colorado Monday said that the meeting with Dr. Richard Steadman backed up the diagnosis of Carlos Beltran's right knee.

The exam by the reknowned orthopedic surgeon found a bone bruise and recommended rest, not surgery for the Mets' centerfielder. While this injury can lead to microfracture surgery as a solution - and Beltran already had both knees cleaned out surgically after the 2007 season - Steadman, the inventor of the microfracture technique, did not believe surgery was necessary.

Beltran is eligible to come off the disabled list July 7, but Steadman's assessment was for him to rest slightly longer - at least through the All-Star Break, which would give him slightly more than three weeks off since he last played Jun 21. Beltran was unlikely to be back on schedule anyway since he is currently shut down completely from any activity.

The bone bruise has bothered him much of the season and he received a cortisone injection May 26 and sat out two games before returning to action and attempting to play through the trouble.

A Mets' official could not comment on the meeting with Steadman until he speaks with team physician, Dr. David Altchek, who is still in surgery.

And Then Depression Set In - Again

While the .500 mark has been the bar set by Jerry Manuel for when to press the panic button, when the Mets dipped below it Monday night that hardly seemed like the cause for concern.

Sure, the Mets seem to be in a freefall and that three-game deficit in the National League East feels like it could be six or seven very quickly. As we detail in today's Record, another loss just feels like another day off the calendar.

But the standings and the record are secondary today to what could be much more serious trouble. Carlos Beltran went to Vail Monday for a second opinion and it certainly is a cause for concern. While the Mets took a calm stance, insisting that the precautionary second opinion is just Beltran's decision to try to reassure himself, it looks much worse.

Here's the layman take on it - and that's all I can give. He's got a deep bone bruise in his knee. He played with that and it got worse. When I covered the NBA - much more pounding on the knees there for sure - the players who had this injury usually wound up with microfracture surgery, which usually led to a severe drop in their performance if they returned at all.

Oh, and the doctor that Beltran is going to see is Dr. Richard Steadman, the inventor of the microfracture procedure - and the doctor who operated on Allan Houston (never the same until he retired), Jason Kidd (severe dropoff) and Kenyon Martin (from max contract to role player).

So as Bob Klapisch writes today the mood has turned sour at every level.

The Mets could certainly use some good news today. But winning a game and getting back to .500 won't do it. They need either good news on an injured player - Beltran would fit that bill, but it's hard to imagine - or a deal to change the tone. When Argenis Reyes is leading off I think it's safe to say we've gone as far as we can go with the lineup possibilities of the current squad.

The Hits Keep Coming - Beltran Edition

Carlos Beltran traveled to Vail, Colorado today to receive a second opinion on his ailing right knee - not a promising sign for a speedy recovery.

He is meeting with Dr. Richard Steadman at the same facility that has become the hip hip clinic - where Alex Rodriguez went this spring. The Mets are on board with the decision to seek a second opinion, but so far believe that there is nothing troubling in the first opinion that would merit a scare.

Conversations we would like to hear

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The lineup

A Reyes SS Murphy 1B Wright 3B Sheffield LF Church RF F Martinez CF Schneider C Castillo 2B Nieve P

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Mets not biggest disaster here

The Mets may be sinking - but Miller Park is already underwater.

A storm hit Friday that washed away the berm behind the service entrance of the stadium. That led to a flood that submerged the clubhouse level under about three feet of water.

So they have cut out all drywall up to that level - including on the wall around Jerry Manuel's office. All of the furniture has been replaced.

And the Mets have Argenis Reyes leading off. You tell me which is worse.

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Nieve May Not Turn Out Well

Okay, I know that's not going out on a limb since Fernando Nieve was released by the pitching-needy Astros in spring training after 10 years of waiting for him.

But here's a note courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.

He is the first pitcher to start his Mets career by winning his first three starts since Jorge Sosa. Okay, so that's a template you don't want to follow.

Another Game Beltran Won't Play In?

The latest round of All-Star Balloting results is in and the Mets lineup continues to look better for the All-Star Game in St. Louis than for any regular season game within memory.

David Wright holds a commanding lead at third base and Carlos Beltran is hanging on to a slim margin over Alfonso Soriano for the final spot in the National League outfield. Beltran currently has 2,085,028 votes while Soriano has 1,916,598.

Now, the Mets are hopeful that the All-Star Break could be about the time that Beltran, currently on the disabled list, returns to action. But if somehow he is ready, it seems a longshot that they'd give the go-ahead for Beltran to play in the All-Star Game.