Garrett Olson was assigned No. 38 during Spring Training and with those digits still unassigned, its a good bet that’s the number the Mets call on when they need to retire a lefthanded hitter this week. Olson is expected to join the Mets Tuesday after the club revealed the shoulder injury to Tim Byrdak was more serious than they expected. Like, Johan Santana serious.
This is not official but it is expected the corresponding move will be to demote Elvin Ramirez again. Byrdak went onto the disabled list over the weekend whgen closer Frank Francisco returned from the DL. Also back now from injury is Mike Baxter, with Kirk Niuewenhuis mercifully returned to Buffalo.
That’s not quite the flurry of moves many expected this year at the trading deadline but after stewing for a bit over the seeming pointlessness of retaining Byrdak, Scott Hairston and Jon Rauch, I came around the Sandy Alderson’s so-many-words point that there might be some value in finishing third rather than last for a change. We Mets way too often go hell-bent for one or the other.
