PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- There had been little doubt out-of-options Carlos Torres would earn a spot in the Mets' bullpen. Still, Terry Collins firmly stated it Wednesday.
Carlos Torres
#52 RP
New York Mets
2013 STATS
- GM33
W4
L6
BB17
K75
- ERA3.44
"For me, he's part of our bullpen," the manager said after Torres logged another two scoreless innings, in the Mets' 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Tradition Field. "He makes you swing the bat to beat him. He doesn't walk guys. He does a lot of little things to help himself. With the job he did last year, he's on this club."
Torres, 31, has now contributed six scoreless innings in Grapefruit League play.
Collins plans to use Torres as a spot starter during the season, with the right-hander's bullpen role partly being dictated by the rest of the relief corps' composition.
Torres went 4-6 with a 3.44 ERA in 33 appearances (nine starts) last season.
• On John Lannan's four-inning performance in which he limited the Cards to two unearned runs, Collins said: "I was really impressed with the way he threw. That's the best I've seen him throw. Certainly it's nice to know you've got another guy in the mix."
Lannan is now projected to serve as a second bullpen lefty, although he officially remains in the fifth-starter's race.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka and Noah Syndergaard are due to face the Washington Nationals on Thursday in Viera. The expectation is that they will combine to log all nine innings in the Grapefruit League game.
• On Kyle Farnsworth's continued struggles, Collins said: "We've just got to be patient a little bit and see where he is in 10 days or so."
Mentioning "10 days" was not a coincidence. Farnsworth, currently not projected to make the team, has a March 23 "out" in his contract. He allowed a two-run homer to Kolten Wong on Wednesday.
• Ike Davis (calf) and Lucas Duda (hamstring) will not be cleared to begin serving as designated hitters on the minor-league side Thursday. Both will continue to take grounders and hit without running. Collins hopes both can DH by the weekend.
• Ruben Tejada will make a second straight start at shortstop Thursday.
• Collins did not care to discuss the Braves' signing of Ervin Santana. "My reaction is I don't worry about anybody else right now," the manager said. "I've got enough on my plate. I'm not like a lot of guys. I don't sit there and mope over the internet about who's got who. I worry about what I got, because that's the only thing I can concern myself with."