Remember those “Prevention & Recovery” signs that were plastered all over the Mets’ spring-training clubhouse, which also made their way north to Citi Field? Well, they’re still hanging. But they’re not being followed.
Predictably, shortstop Jose Reyes is ailing again after feeling discomfort with his right oblique muscle while testing the injury swinging Sunday. Of course, that begs the question: Why was Reyes cleared to swing a bat only three days after being forced from the lineup Thursday because of discomfort?
Those “Prevention & Recovery” signs -- while a source of derision -- actually were designed to remind staff and players to treat injuries conservatively. The signs were introduced after a litany of injuries in 2009, including several false starts with Reyes as the Mets rushed him back from a leg injury.
Reyes initially suffered his oblique injury during batting practice on June 30 in San Juan before a game against the Florida Marlins. Rather than shut him down and let the injury truly heal, the switch-hitting shortstop rushed back hitting from only the right side of the plate. The discomfort never fully went away, leading to the latest flare-up and the false start days later.
SUSPENDED: Gulf Coast League manager Sandy Alomar Sr. and pitching coach Hector Berrios were suspended by the organization for having an argument on the field, a team official confirmed. Minor league field coordinator Terry Collins completed the season as fill-in skipper. The Mets’ GCL affiliate qualified for the postseason.
AAA BATTERY: Right-hander Jenrry Mejia makes his Buffalo Bisons debut Monday night against Syracuse, with Omar Minaya scheduled to watch. Mejia arrives having tossed 17 2/3 straight scoreless innings for Double-A Binghamton.
Not coincidentally, it would appear, Mejia pitches on the same day that Pat Misch goes for the major league club -- making Mejia’s entry into the Mets’ rotation at some point in the not-too-distant future as seamless as possible. Overall, Mejia was 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA in six starts for the B-Mets.
CHART TOPPER: R.A. Dickey checks in at No. 7 on the National League leader board with a 2.57 ERA, at least for a few days. A pitcher needs an inning for every game in which his team has played to qualify. Entering the series opener in Atlanta, the Mets have played 130 games. And Dickey has logged 133 1/3 innings. That means he will drop out before pitching again Friday, because the Mets will have played 134 games before he next takes the mound.