MET NOTES
Ramon Castro has had just 29 at-bats and started eight games this year. But don’t think the Mets won’t feel his absence.
The Mets got surprising news yesterday when the backup catcher was forced to go on the disabled list with a strained right quad.
To replace Castro, the Mets recalled Mike DiFelice, who was hitting .276 with eight homers at Norfolk.
Castro has been a valuable addition to the Mets, often replacing Mike Piazza in the later innings of games for defense. He was hitting .241 with three RBIs and had thrown out one of three runners trying to steal.
Castro has also caught five of Pedro Martinez’ eight starts, and Martinez has statistically pitched better with Castro catching (3-1, 2.75 ERA) than with Piazza (1-0, 4.50).
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Sunday’s deadline for the Mets to add reliever Scott Strickland or risk losing him as a free agent passed with the Mets and Strickland agreeing to extend the reliever’s deadline another week.
“Right now we felt we could not make a move based upon some of the guys that we have up here,” GM Omar Minaya said.
Strickland is 0-2 with a 2.16 ERA in nine games for Norfolk.
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Manager Willie Randolph revealed that Mike Cameron offered to help him out by playing center field on days when Randolph wants to rest Carlos Beltran. The Mets’ All-Star center fielder hasn’t had a day off this year.
Cameron, of course, is a two-time Gold Glove winner in center, but has been shifted to right field with Beltran in the mix. Cameron said he’d be fine with playing center again, and Randolph said that could be an option if he wanted to rest Beltran.
“Yeah, that, or [Chris Woodward] can play center also,” he said. “It’s just an option, that’s all.”
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Monday could mark an important step in Steve Trachsel’s comeback. The right-hander, who’s been out all year with a herniated disc, will see his doctor in California that day and is hoping to get cleared to play catch . . . RHP Bartolome Fortunato (strained lower back) has begun long-tossing but is still far way from returning.
