Mets manager Willie Randolph wanted to give Lastings Milledge a day off and give Marlon Anderson a rare start in center field. The experiment lasted 3½ innings.
Anderson sprained his left wrist trying to make a sliding catch in the top of the fourth and was lifted for Milledge in the bottom of the inning. Anderson was gone by the time the Mets’ 7-6 loss to Atlanta ended, off to Alabama to attend his grandmother’s funeral.
X-rays of Anderson’s wrist were negative. He’ll be placed on the bereavement list today, and the Mets will be allowed to replace him until he returns.
With one out in the fourth, Anderson attempted to catch Brian McCann’s sinking liner. The ball appeared to hit the heel of Anderson’s glove and it landed on the ground for a single. Anderson also failed to make a play in the third inning, when Kelly Johnson’s triple to deep center ticked off his glove near the fence.
Prior to last season, Anderson never played center field in the majors. He played seven games there for Washington in 2006 and two previous games for the Mets this year.
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CF Carlos Beltran was eligible to be activated from the disabled list yesterday, but the switch-hitter predicted he was a few days away from returning. He suffered a strained left oblique July 25 and hasn’t played since, and he still can’t swing freely from the right side.
He spoke briefly yesterday before he went to work out in the indoor batting cage.
“From the left side it feels like I can swing,” Beltran said. “And from the right side it feels like I can’t.
“Hopefully a couple more days and I’m gonna swing from the right side and play in the games. I don’t want to be out there without being able to swing from the right side.
“Because that’s not good. I want to be able to play when I’m able to hit from both sides.”
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Braves LF Willie Harris‘ thefts were a source of frustration for the Mets. Harris robbed Moises Alou of an extra-base hit in the first inning with two on and one run in, reaching up to make a leaping catch in front of the wall.
“Mine wasn’t going to go out, but I did hit the ball well,” Alou said.
Harris topped himself in the ninth, when he snared Carlos Delgado‘s potential game-tying homer with another leaping catch.
“That was devastating right there,” Alou said.
Randolph said, “He got up there pretty good. I thought it was out for a second.”
Delgado left the clubhouse without speaking to reporters.
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Randolph welcomed Little Leaguers from East Harlem before the game.
