How about that?
Oliver Perez went on the disabled list yesterday, just when the Mets needed to activate Jon Niese from the DL to start against the Marlins.
The Mets were adamant, however, that not only was the sudden right knee problem that sent the peevish Perez to the shelf prompted by the left-hander’s own complaint, but also the convenient injury was legitimate.
Perez’s perfectly-timed patellar tendinitis forced him (or allowed him) to go on the 15-day DL, making room for the Mets to activate Niese without having to demote another player. It also resolved Perez’s status — the struggling lefty had been booted from the rotation, banished to the bullpen and urged to go to the minor leagues to work on his problems.
Perez refused to be demoted, but now that he is evidently hurt, he is thus temporarily off the roster. He also is headed to Port St. Lucie to rehabilitate the knee.
Mets manager Jerry Manuel said that Perez’s knee had not been an issue prior to Friday, when the pitcher said, “My knee is bothering me,” while making a visit to the trainer’s room. Manuel said Perez claimed the trouble started after his last outing, a 2 2/3-inning stint against the Padres on Monday.
Assistant general manager John Ricco backed up Manuel.
“Perez told us [Friday] that he was having some soreness in his right knee,” Ricco said.
Perez had an MRI exam on Friday night, which showed the tendinitis, in the same knee on which he had surgery last September. The 28-year-old, who’s 0-3 with a 6.28 ERA in 11 games this season, was not in the clubhouse before yesterday’s game to comment about the injury, and his agent, Scott Boras, did not return a message.
Major league baseball is planning to check on the injury, but both Ricco and Manuel insisted Perez’s knee problem is legitimate.
“I would have to say that in my years that I have been here, the Wilpons, Saul Katz, Omar Minaya, they have had similar situations where they could have used what I would say would be a less [honest] option but they never chose that,” Manuel said. “This purely is Oliver Perez. Oliver Perez came in and said that his knee bothered him.”
Perez’s DL stint is backdated to June 1, and when he is ready to pitch again, Ricco said the Mets will have two options: One, simply reinstate Perez to the major league roster, or two, have him pitch in at least one minor league rehab game. Perez would have to agree to the second scenario.
Asked if he believed Perez had been hurt all season, Manuel said he had concerns about Perez’s diminished velocity, but added that a player must be given the benefit of the doubt when he says he’s healthy.
