The way Kirk Nieuwenhuis has been playing it’s barely a relief today to see that Andres Torres has returned, but the team has adapted well so far so I’m hopeful they can keep it up (and continue to encounter the opposition on their bad days). To make room for the returning Torres, Nieuwenhuis has been shifted over to left field where someone named Jason Bay used to play and double-ear-flapped reserve Zach Lutz was returned to AAA Buffalo.
Tag Archive for Zach Lutz
Mets Do the Buffalo Shuffle
What was looking like a happy and uneventful Mets season has suddently become anything but. A few poor starts and a little better competition has begun to expose big cracks in the Mets’ health and holes in their game. I don’t think I’ve seen a Met look as lost at the plate as Ike Davis does these days since Jeromy Burnitz in 2002. We’re really piling up the whiffs.
As noted below, a few disabled-list assignments have brought some new players to the team. Monday’s doubleheader featured the Mets debut of Jeremy Heffner, who took the roster slot of disabled infielder Ronny Cedeno. Heffner, who wore No. 53 — the first since manager Jerry Manuel in 2010 — was farmed out again after the game when Jordanny Valdespin was activated. Valdespin, a hard-hitting prospect whom the Mets hope to use in a utility role, was assigned No. 1 (I’d have guessed 22, wrongly again). Today we got news that both Jason Bay and Mike Pelfrey were added to the disabled list. Bay’s spot on the roster will be taken over by Zach Lutz, a third baseman who can hit.
The Mets have assigned Lutz No. 19, which if you’re Danny Herrera can’t be encouraging. The little lefty we received for Francisco Rodriguez last season is already off the 40 and out for the year with arm trouble. It’s unlikey we see him again. Pelfrey’s spot — for the moment — will be occupied by lefty reliever Robert Carson, who’s been assigned No. 73, at least according to the Mets roster.
