The Mets’ bullpen took a blow yesterday, when Ryota Igarashi was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an MRI exam showed that the right-hander had suffered a “moderate injury” to his left hamstring on Tuesday.
Igarashi sounded confident that he wouldn’t be out for any longer than that, saying that a similar injury he had while pitching in Japan two years ago kept him out for a month, but that this wasn’t as serious.
“I feel like this injury is much less severe,” Igarashi said through a translator.
He suffered the injury fielding a bunt in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s win over the Cubs.
The Mets recalled another right-hander, Manny Acosta, from Triple-A Buffalo to take Igarashi’s spot. Acosta pitched for the Braves last year. He was 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA in five games with the Bisons this season and gave up three runs in 1 1/3 innings last night.
“[Fernando] Nieve and [Pedro] Feliciano will be guys that we’ll use primarily in that particular role,” Jerry Manuel said of the eighth inning, not ruling out Jenrry Mejia.
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With Tuesday’s news that Carlos Beltran isn’t close to returning to the majors, it appears that Angel Pagan has a chance to become further entrenched in center field.
“As long as he continues to produce, he’ll be out there,” Manuel said. “But Gary Matthews Jr. is a good player, and we’d like to get him enough at-bats that if we happen to spell an outfielder, we feel confident he could hold his own.”
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Tom Seaver never had heard of Ike Davis before yesterday, but he had some advice for the Mets’ new first baseman.
When asked about the pressures of being a top prospect in New York, Seaver said: “It makes it difficult, but that’s part of being in the big leagues. It’s part of the deal.”
Seaver was at Citi Field to tour the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum with U.S. military veterans.
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Lou Piniella announced yesterday that ace Carlos Zambrano, who took the loss on Tuesday, would move to the Cubs’ bullpen, becoming a very high-priced middle reliever.
