Nelson Figueroa has cleared waivers, according to Adam Rubin.
Figueroa will report to Triple-A Buffalo.
Good. Justice is served.
Also, Darren O’Day has been picked off of waivers by the Texas Rangers, according to Ken Davidoff.
So long, Darren. Maybe, if the Rangers drop him, the Mets can bring him back if the timing is right. You never know.
The Mets called up Nelson Figueroa for a spot start in place of Mike Pelfrey on Sunday. To make room for Figueroa, the Mets put Darren O’Day on Rule 5 waivers.
Only hours after Figueroa turned in a quality start, the Mets designated him for assignment to make room for Casey Fossum.
Essentially, the Mets had traded O’Day for a quality start out of Figueroa, then traded Figueroa for Fossum. Both O’Day and Figueroa both have a chance to stick with the Mets organization if no other team claims them. (O’Day would also have to be turned down by the Angels organization with his $25,000 price tag.)
Fossum, who is 0-0 with a 0.82 ERA with the Buffalo Bisons this year, will be available in the bullpen and could possibly make a start this week.
What I don’t understand about this move is why the Mets didn’t just call up Fossum for the start on Sunday. Would he have really been that bad against the Milwaukee Brewers? Calling up Figueroa, watching him turn in a decent performance and then promptly waving goodbye to him is not a way to treat any player.
The Mets may very well have thrown away a good player with this roster move. Hopefully they can retain both players, as they both are effective in their own capacity.
Just poor roster handling by the Mets on this one.
The Mets have confirmed that Mike Pelfrey will skip his next start, scheduled for Sunday against the Brewers. Nelson Figueroa has been promoted to pitch in his place.
To make room for Figueroa, Rule V draft pick Darren O’Day has been placed on waivers. If no team claims him, he must be offered back to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for $25,000.
Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting that the Mets are likely going to skip Mike Pelfrey in the rotation on Sunday.
“Skipping his start” would mean that he’s going to stay off the disabled list and a roster move is forthcoming. The most obvious move would be to send down / let go of Darren O’Day, who would have to be offered back to the Angels. O’Day was a Rule V draft pick this year.
Coming up to make the start would probably be Nelson Figueroa, who was pulled from his start with Triple-A Buffalo after only two innings. Jon Niese is scheduled to start on Sunday for Binghamton, but his 9.00 ERA is probably holding him back.
Smart move by the Mets here. No need to push Pelfrey through any injury. Let him rest and let him heal.
With the news that Mike Pelfrey has been pitching with forearm tendinitis and the fact that Nelson Figueroa was pulled from his start with Triple-A Buffalo after just two innings makes one wonder what the Mets are planning on doing with their No. 2 pitcher.
Last night, I asked my Twitter followers what the Mets should do. Here are their responses…
And my favorite of the night…
I don’t think they should sit him, but they should call up Figueroa to replace Darren O’Day, who would have to be offered back to the Angels. The team looks like it’s going to need pitchers who can go for multiple innings out of the bullpen, considering the starting pitchers are having a hard time finishing out six innings.
Not on Twitter? Hit the comments to toss in your 2¢ about how the Mets should handle Pelfrey’s pain.
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Adam Rubin is reporting that Nelson Figueroa was pulled from his start for the Buffalo Bisons after only two innings. This brings Mike Pelfrey’s start on Sunday into question.
Pelfrey could hit the DL and rest his arm, with Figueroa taking over his starting duties. The Mets may opt to pitch Pelfrey, but keep him on a short leash and would have Figueroa around to be the long man out of the bullpen.
Either way, it looks like Darren O’Day’s time with the Mets may be winding down, as Figueroa would have to be added to the 25-man roster.
This is probably the right move for the Mets either way. With the starting pitchers struggling to get past five or six innings, the Mets are going to look to some bullpen pitchers to put out mulitple inning performances. The only pitcher I’m currently comfortable seeing out there for more than one inning is Brian Stokes.
Figueroa would alleviate that if he was in the bullpen, as he has the ability to go two, or more, innings if need be.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The Mini Recap
The Mets were down by one heading into the top of the 9th inning. Jeremy Reed delivered with an RBI single to tie the game. Jorge Cantu ended the game in the bottom of the 9th with a single to left, scoring Emilio Bonifacio from second base.
On The Mound
The Mets should be encouraged by John Maine’s start. He allowed solo home runs in each of the first two innings, one to Hanley Ramirez and another to Dan Uggla, but nothing else. Maine needed 83 pitches to get through five innings and allowed only those two hits. He walked only one and struck out five.
With all the worry over Maine’s mechanics and issues this spring training, this is a good sign for the Mets.
Sean Green took over for the sixth inning and allowed three hits and a run to score. He struck out three in the inning. Bobby Parnell had some hard tonight. After two quick outs, a Bonifacio bunt and John Baker bloop led to an RBI single from Ramirez.
Just terrible luck for Parnell. A bunt and a bloop with two outs lead to a very crucial run.
J.J. Putz was the sole untouched pitcher, throwing one inning, allowing only one hit. Pedro Feliciano started the ninth inning, allowing a one out infield single to Bonifacio. He then got Baker to strike out before being removed for Darren O’Day. After issuing a walk to Ramirez, O’Day surrendered a single to left field. Bonifacio sped around from second base to score the game winner, with Daniel Murphy’s throw coming in too late to get the runner.
Poor O’Day. He’s really not having a good few days. Hopefully this doesn’t cost him his roster spot.
At The Plate
Leaving runners on base doomed the Mets again. They left 14 runners on base.
Anibel Sanchez shut out the Mets for all five innings he was on the mound. Carlos Beltran then greeted Dan Meyer with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning. Beltran struck again in the seventh inning, grounding into a fielders choice with the bases loaded to drive in Murphy.
Beltran seems to love hitting in Dolphin Stadium, with a career .331 AVG with 33 RBI in 32 games in south Florida. He added to that with his three hit night tonight.
Fernando Tatis pinch hit with the bases loaded again in the seventh, and just missed getting all of a ball for a grand slam. Instead, he flew out to the warning track, allowing David Wright to score from third on his sacrifice fly.
In the top of the ninth, with the Mets trailing by one, Beltran and Church singled with one out off of Matt Lindstrom. After Ramon Castro fouled out, Reed came to the plate as the Mets last hope. He delivered by ripping a single to right field, allowing Beltran to trot around and tie the game.
Nice way to win over Mets fans, Reed. If he’s supposed to replace Endy Chavez, this is a good start. Church and Murphy also picked up three hits tonight.
Game Ball
Carlos Beltran: 3-5, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, 1 K.
On Deck
Livan Hernandez will face Ricky Nolasco tomorrow, with the game starting at 6:25 p.m. The game will not air on TV until 7:05 p.m. where it will be joined in progress.
The Mets need to clear a roster spot to make room for Livan Hernandez, who will be activated on Saturday. The battle seems to come down to Marlon Anderson, the pinch-hitter / backup first baseman, or Darren O’Day, the sidearming righthander.
As it stands now, it looks like it’s going to be Anderson and his $1.15 million contract that gets cut, according to Adam Rubin.
"Sometimes that guy never gets in a game, but at least you have that protection," Manuel said about carrying the extra reliever as a hedge against a starter getting knocked out early.
Mets officials insist they need OF Jeremy Reed, who can be optioned to the minors, as a defensive replacement for Daniel Murphy, leaving no apparent alternative to Anderson as the roster casualty. After hitting .210 last season, Anderson went 0-for-3 as a pinch-hitter against the Reds. He is owed $1.15 million this season.
It’s the most logical move for the Mets. I’m more than certain Anderson will catch on somewhere and be just fine.
(Five bucks says he lands with the Phillies and kills the Mets all season long…)
Yesterday, Darren O’Day made his first appearance in orange and blue. He hit the first batter he faced and then let up a two-run single, allowing two inherited runners to score.
But O’Day was pitching with a heavy heart. His ex-teammate, Nick Adenhart, had died early that morning. O’Day only found out an hour or so before the first pitch.
David Lennon relays a quote:
"I distinctly remember last year when I got sent down to Salt Lake and he called me the first night," said O'Day, who was visibly upset as he talked with reporters. "He went out of his way to welcome me to the team. He was an awesome teammate and a great friend. He'll be missed. I wish I would have called him last night or at least sent him a text message or something. I sent him one today, but that doesn't really do much good."
O'Day appeared to be on the verge of breaking down after that last sentence.
I couldn’t even imagine walking out to the mound and trying to quell all your nerves and emotions. I know that’s what is expected of a pitched, but not in a case like this.
Hopefully this doesn’t go against O’Day, who is fighting for a roster spot as Livan Hernandez’s activation inches closer.
RIP Nick Adenhart.
