I thought we'd seen the last of Nelson Figueroa, but back he came Wednesday night as reinforcement for a Met bullpen that also looking like it might never recover. His recall forced Argenis Reyes to head back to New Orleans, though it is certain he will back when rosters expand Monday.

Also returning is catcher Robinson Cancel, activated as Ramon Castro hits the DL with a quad strain. How did Cancel ever get ahead of Raul Casanova (hitting well in New Orleans) in the pecking order among lumpy veteran backup catchers?

Speaking of veteran longshots, lefty reliever Ricardo Rincon has been returned to the Mets organization after spending the summer on loan to the Mexico City Reds. Rincon, noted for having worn No. 73 wherever he's pitched, joins the list of candidates to join the beleaguered bullpen as well.

Brandon Knight is set to start for the Mets Saturday night as the replacement for Pedro Martinez, who was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his father.

Knight, who will dress in No. 28, will have come a long way from the independent Atlantic League, where he began the year, and is six years removed from his last big-league appearance, with the Yankees in 2002. The limits of the bereavement list (maximum of 7 days) and the upcoming Olympics in Bejing, where Knight is scheduled to represent the US of A and manager Davey Johnson, figure to make this a brief visit, but let's hope a successful oine.

Sandy Alomar Jr. -- as a player -- most recently wore the 28 jersey,obtaining it in a swap for No. 19 with teammate Jeff Conine last season. (Can you believe either of those guys finished their careers as Mets?) The uni had previously belonged to stylish reliever Juan Padilla (goggles, magic tricks, invariably took off his hat at the end of an inning). Padilla, who'd been rehabbing various arm ailments since a promising showing in 2005, was quietly released by the organization this month.

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That same crappy feeling I got when Robin Ventura joined the Yankees returned tonight when I learned the Bombers had traded for Pittsburgh's Xavier Nady. I don't want to see the guy fail but playing up to his abilities in Yankee Stadium's left field ought to be worth a few laughs before the season's over, and I wouldn't bet big on his continuing to run a 900+ OPS, even if I won't actively root against it.

Schedule it already!

Just like the Mets to eviserate the momentum of their resounding day-game victory (and series sweep) at Yankee Stadium with a stinker against a sack of crap making what is likely to be his only effective start of the year. Tyler Clippard? Dwight Gooden? No, this time, it's Sidney Ponson. Kill me.

Thanks for hanging in during the break -- I spent an almost entirely Metless week in the wildnerness -- dim nighttime radio reception brought me bits of two horrifying losses to Seattle and pretty good reception of a Binghamton Mets game in which their manager was ejected and suspended (for what? I dunno). Reading up on the transactions and comments, I see the Mets designated Claudio Vargas for asignment and recalled reliver Carlos Muniz.

They also acquired infielder Andy Phillips via waivers and added him to the active roster while sending down pointless third catcher Robinson Cancel. Phillips was issued No. 29 -- the third time that number was issued this season.

Oh, and Willie Randolph was fired again -- this time by the NL All-Stars. Ouch.

While so many of his colleagues spent the past week hysterically fermenting fake outrage and making a martyr of deposed manager Willie Randolph, beat writer Adam Rubin of the Daily News gets the real story on the complicated unraveling of the Willie Randolph Era, revealing not only Willie's wild paranoia and churlishness, but the politicking that could make Tony Bernazard the new king of Metland before long. As always, the real story is considerably more nuanced than a 144-point headline would indicate.

As I've said before, I felt bad for Willie right up until the end but I have begun to think that the Mets very much did him a favor by firing him as "controversially" as they did, since it detracts from the very strong argument for having done it in the first place. Three games in and I'm thrilled with the Jerry Manuel Era.

Manuel is the 19th manager in Mets history, and the first to wear No. 53: Following is a list of all Met managers and their uni numbers:

By the way, I'll be away from a computer for about a week, feel free to hit up the comments or contacts and we'll be back soon!

Pitching coach Rick Peterson too and because they can, first-base coach Tom Nieto.

And just when I'd begun to tune out all the rumors.

Stay tuned for the press conference today to see whether Ken Oberkfell, promoted from Norfolk to the big league staff along with pitching coach Dan Warthen and infield coordinator Luis Aguayo, alights again in No. 0, and whether Jerry Manuel's first move as interim manager is to shed No. 53. 

You said it, Willie.

Not about racism (for the record, the intimation Willie "played the race card" is a joke -- he just raised the issue, as is his right to do), but about the fact that something stinks around here.

The Randolph Era is beginning to look like another mangerial tenure destined to end unhappily and soon, and that's a shame: While I've never been a great Willie fan I feel terrible about how the fans (and players... and some journalists) have been treating him. I admire his iconoclasm and desire to be dignified: It's just that this team isn't lending itself to either end. We don't need tortured interpretations of pinch-running tendencies and pretend outrage based on willfull misinterpretation of since retratcted quotes (complete with the "I-can't-believe-I-used-to-idolize-this-guy" piling on). The team is at sea, and it doesn't appear that Randolph is capable of rallying them to greater success anymore.
If he's lost the team, that's when he goes, and no sooner.

That job won't be easier now that Moises Alou is out injured again. The Mets on Thursday recalled Raul Casanova from AAA New Orleans to take his spot on the roster.

Interesting factoid about Mike Piazza: He was assigned No. 31 in Los Angeles when it became available following Roger McDowell's switch from 31 to 17. McDowell, the former Met, switched to 17so as to honor his ex-Met teammate Keith Hernandez. Hernandez, of course, wore 17 in New York because 37 -- his number in St. Louis -- had been retired for Casey Stengel (and 7, 27 and 47 were already issued).

That means that 17 and 31 -- the numbers considered most likely for potential retirementfor the Mets -- can be directly traced to the first number the team retired.

Congratulations to Mike Piazza on a great career and best wishes for a happy retirement, but the Mets didn't necessarily have to take the whole day off for you.

As readers of the site know, I tend to think too much attention is given to number retirement and not enough attention to the idea of the number as a tradition to be passed along, but I certainly can't imagine Mets could get away with issuing No. 31 again anytime soon. And it's not hard to come up with an argument for Piazza's credentials, so let's bring it on... in 2013.

So disregard the nonsense about Adam Bostick and Willie Collazo and Joe Smith below -- the Mets on Tuesday afternoon abruptly changed course and recalled Claudio Vargas to the big club, along with Fernando Tatis, and re-activated reliever Matt Wise while designating both Nelson Figueroa and Jorge Sosa for assignment and putting outfielder Angel Pagan onto the disabled list.

While we applaud the Mets for being brave enough to sacrifice two players whose backstory (Figueroa) and contact (Sosa) might have won them chances better performing teammates might not have been given, the real story here is how the Mets will outfit Claudio Vargas -- the lefty released by the Brewers this spring -- in the same No. 39 jersey that injured prospect Jason Vargas was issued this spring (Jason Vargas wore 43 in his brief appearance last year). The newly arriving Tatis meanwhile will become the 29th wearer of the 17 jersey. Wise was and still is No. 38.

Both Figueroa and Sosa appear to have vanished from the Mets plans following respective poor performances Monday. MLB.com reported that the Mets were trying to trade Sosa -- they had during spring training as well -- and if he goes we'll remember him as the one spot-starter not to completely destruct in 2006. Figueroa and his luxury box full of Coney Island friends and family had a few nice starts before reminding us why he'd been without a big league job for so many years. We may see one or both back eventually -- Raul Casanova, after all, cleared waivers Tuesday and he's had as good a year as either of them.