MET NOTES
MIAMI – When Cliff Floyd woke up yesterday, he had more than his average share of messages on his cell phone.
“My phone was blowing up,” Floyd said. “Everybody thought I passed away.”
Floyd reassured his friends that reports of his demise were premature (“I ain’t dead,” he said), but both he and Mike Cameron were out of the lineup yesterday after Saturday’s ugly collision.
“I’m sore, but I expected it,” Floyd said. “Just stiff. Things that didn’t hurt [Saturday] hurt [yesterday].”
Curiously, Art Howe sent Floyd up to pinch hit in the ninth inning against Armando Benitez, against whom he had been 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. Floyd ended up striking out and admitted to being a little confused way he would bat in that spot.
“Not questioning [Howe],” Floyd said, “but I was surprised.”
Floyd insisted he would be in the lineup this afternoon, promising, “I’m playing [today]. I don’t care how hurt it is.”
Cameron insisted he felt fine, but Howe opted to give him the day anyway, saying, “I know he’s sore. There’s no sense putting him out there when in my opinion, he’s not 100 percent.”
Cameron said he was OK with sitting down, though considering he’s also suffering from strained ligaments in his hand, he admitted, “I don’t think I’ll be 100 percent till the off-season.”
In Cameron’s place, the Mets trotted out Shane Spencer, who had never played center before in the majors. It didn’t go well, as Spencer committed a huge error when he dropped a fly ball in the third inning that led to three unearned runs.
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After striking out in the fifth inning on a check swing, Mike Piazza grimaced and looked like he was in pain. He hurt his right wrist but stayed in the game and later doubled in the seventh.
“It’s all right,” he said. “It’s a little sore.”
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Howe said Al Leiter did not feel any residual soreness from his sessions on Friday and Saturday and remains slated to return from the DL tomorrow. When Leiter comes off, the Mets will have to send someone down, likely reliever Pedro Feliciano. . . .
Scott Erickson (strained left hamstring) began his rehab assignment last night with a six-inning stint against the Palm Beach Cardinals. Erickson did not allow a run, allowing five hits and striking out five. . . .
With his two-homer game, Jason Phillips is in a 15-for-41 spurt that’s raised his average from .156 to .219.
