PORT ST. LUCIE – Freddy Garcia will not be in Mets camp long if this keeps up.
The veteran right-hander, here on a minor-league deal trying to win the fifth spot in the rotation, looked anything but recovered from reconstructive shoulder surgery yesterday.
Garcia flailed through a dreadful outing in the Mets’ 9-8 loss to the Cardinals in Grapefruit League play, walking three and giving up four runs (two earned). He needed 40 pitches to get through just two-thirds of an inning.
That was in stark contrast to fellow fifth-starter candidate Livan Hernandez, who glided through two hitless, scoreless innings. Hernandez threw just seven pitches in the first inning.
“I felt fine, but I also felt out of place,” Garcia said. “I don’t have an excuse. I threw the ball all over the place. I couldn’t throw my breaking pitch for a strike. I don’t know what I can say. Hopefully, next time is good.”
Garcia might not get many more chances to prove himself to the Mets if one of the other fifth-starter candidates, Tim Redding, returns soon from offseason toe surgery.
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Manager Jerry Manuel said he was impressed with Hernandez’s outing.
“I saw some arm speed I hadn’t seen in a long time, and I was excited about that,” Manuel said of the former World Series MVP.
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The Mets saw new closer Frankie Rodriguez for the first time when he threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and a walk against Italy’s World Baseball Classic representative.
Rodriguez is leaving camp tomorrow to pitch for Venezuela in the WBC. . . . Mike Pelfrey threw two scoreless innings in a 5-4 win over the Italian WBC team, whose coaching staff includes Mike Piazza. Pelfrey struck out four and allowed just one hit while throwing 21 of his 29 pitches for strikes. . . . Manuel said Fernando Tatis, sidelined all week by tendinitis in his right palm, is expected back Tuesday. . . . The Mets signed ex-Yankees reliever Ron Villone to a minor league contract.
