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Mets' Perez throws four hitless innings

March 13, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

POST ST. LUCIE -- Oliver Perez threw four no-hit innings in the Mets' 9-1 victory over a Detroit Tigers split squad.Perez is coming off a dreadful season after signing a three-year $36 million... Read on

POST ST. LUCIE -- Oliver Perez threw four no-hit innings in the Mets' 9-1 victory over a Detroit Tigers split squad.
	 
Perez is coming off a dreadful season after signing a three-year $36 million contract.
	 
“I’m just coming off knee surgery," Perez told The Post's Kevin Kernan. “I just want to be good and healthy, and after that I understand what I have to do to be ready every five days and try to help my team the best I can.
	 
"I know what I have to do. I have to change because a lot of hitters know how you pitch."
	 
Perez did not record a strikeout and gave up a long fly ball that was not a home run only because of the wind.
	 
The lefty gave up seven hits and five runs in his first outing.
	 
“I see a better focus with Ollie," Jerry Manuel said. “I see between starts there is an effort, a conscious effort, what we’re seeing now with Ollie is that Ollie has had some revelations of his own mechanics, and that’s very important."
	 
Perez walked two, the No. 9 hitter and the No. 1 hitter in succession in the third inning, but got out of trouble when Angel Pagan crashed into the wall to haul in Carlos Guillen’s drive.
	 
The Mets erupted for six runs in the bottom of the seventh, getting home runs from David Wright, Daniel Murphy and Gary Matthews Jr. Jason Bay added his first home run as a Met, a three-run shot in the eighth.
	 
With Kevin Kernan, AP

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Mets' K-Rod pushed back by rainout

March 12, 2010 , ι ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Rain delayed Francisco Rodriguez’s first batting practice session to batters this spring training. Slowed by conjunctivitis, the Mets’ closer expects to throw BP on Saturday, a step... Read on

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Rain delayed Francisco Rodriguez’s first batting practice session to batters this spring training.
	 
Slowed by conjunctivitis, the Mets’ closer expects to throw BP on Saturday, a step necessary before he appears in an exhibition game. He plans to wear prescription goggles at the direction of doctors.
	 
“I might not be wearing contacts for the next three weeks,” he said.
	 
Rodriguez threw a bullpen session Tuesday, first time on a mound since Feb. 28, and was left behind Friday when the Mets’ game against Minnesota in Fort Myers was canceled by rain.
	 
“I’ve been playing some catch, trying to do little things,” Rodriguez said. “It’s pretty obvious I wasn’t doing all the drills or what you need to do to get ready during the spring. But the good thing is I play winter ball, so I’m not behind schedule at all. I’m in pretty good shape, and the main thing is I’m healthy.”
	 
Rodriguez said he needs to get back on a mound to determine what he needs to improve upon before opening day.
	 
“I take every day the same,” he said. “I don’t feel like right now I have to work on anything yet. I say that because I haven’t been on the mound. Once I go there, that’s when I’m going to figure out what I need to work on.”

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Mets don't expect Reyes for Opening Day

March 11, 2010 , ι By MIKE PUMA

POST ST. LUCIE -- Jose Reyes likely will start the season on the disabled list after test results today confirmed the Mets shortstop has a "mild" overactive thyroid.On a conference call with GM Omar... Read on

POST ST. LUCIE -- Jose Reyes likely will start the season on the disabled list after test results today confirmed the Mets shortstop has a "mild" overactive thyroid.
	 
On a conference call with GM Omar Minaya, the player's agent, Peter Greenberg, said Reyes has been told he'll need 2-8 weeks of rest plus dietary modifications before he can resume baseball activities.
	 
Does that rule out Opening Day for Reyes?
	 
"The reality is it doesn't look good right now," Minaya said. "We would have to prepare for that [scenario]."
	 
Reyes may have exacerbated matters by exercising Monday and Tuesday while Mets physicians were preparing further tests for him. Greenberg said such physical activity may have raised Reyes' thyroid levels.
	 
Reyes will be tested at least once a week, Minaya said, until his thyroid level is within the normal range. Medication is not an option. Reyes is prohibited from eating seafood, which is rich in Iodine, as part of his new dietary restrictions.
	 
“There is no medication for this,” Minaya said.
	 
Reyes has been told that once his thyroid levels fall within the normal range, through rest and dietary modifications, there is little chance he will have a recurrence.
	 
"We view this as good news," Greenberg said. "We're disappointed it will be a matter of weeks as opposed to days, but it's curable."
	 
Minaya said Ruben Tejada is the front runner to start at shortstop on Opening Day. Alex cora is the other option.
	 
Reyes and the team
	 did not seem to agree on his diagnosis earlier this week, but Greenberg admitted he and Reyes spoke too soon.
	 
The Mets' statement today said, "additional blood tests confirmed that Jose Reyes's thyroid hormone blood levels are elevated and he is hyperthyroid."
	 
Reyes missed most of last season with a leg injury.
	 
"He's probably in the best condition of his career right now," Greenberg said. "Hopefully that will help get him back."
	 
Center fielder Carlos Beltran already is expected to miss the first month of the season following right knee surgery Jan. 13.
	 
With AP

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Reyes 'blindsided' by Mets' statement on thyroid

March 10, 2010 , ι By MIKE PUMA

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Mets are sticking to their original statement on the condition of Jose Reyes' thyroid."He has elevated thyroid levels and we are waiting for test results," Omar Minaya said... Read on

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Mets are sticking to their original statement on the condition of Jose Reyes' thyroid.
	 
"He has elevated thyroid levels and we are waiting for test results," Omar Minaya said today before the Mets faced the Braves in an exhibition game.
	 
Minaya's pronouncement came after Reyes
	 told ESPNDeportes last night that nothing is wrong with his thyroid.
	 
Reached by phone today, Reyes' agent, Peter Greenberg, said both the player and team are on the same page.
	 
"It's just a matter of semantics," Greenberg said. "We are saying the same thing."
	 
In other words, Reyes has elevated thyroid levels, but there is no cause for alarm at this point.
	 
Greenberg said Reyes was "blindsided" by the statement released by the Mets last night. The team failed to communicate to Reyes' camp that an update on the shortstop's medical condition would be issued.
	 
Reyes then spoke to ESPNDeportes, unaware of the statement the Mets had released.
	 
"They sent out that press release that made it look worse than it was," Greenberg said. "Jose was a little upset."
	 
Minaya said the Mets are awaiting test results to determine a possible course of treatment. Those results aren't expected until tomorrow.
	 
"I had a conversation with our doctors and with [Reyes'] representative and we are all in agreement there are elevated thyroid levels," Minaya said.
	 
The GM would not speculate on when Reyes will be cleared for baseball activities. Greenberg said Reyes is "champing at the bit" to get on the field.
	 
Minaya's pronouncement came after
	 Reyes told ESPNDeportes last night that nothing is wrong with his thyroid.
	 
"The specialists who took care of me in New York have told me that I'm fine and that there's nothing wrong with my thyroid," Reyes said last night, according to the report.
	 
“The test [taken to follow one conducted during his physical] showed that I'm fine. We just have to wait for the results of the additional test. The [doctors] found inflammation in my throat and no medicine to treat the thyroid or any other condition has been prescribed."
	 
Minaya said the Mets are awaiting test results to determine a possible course of treatment. Those results aren't expected until tomorrow.
	 
"I had a conversation with our doctors and with [Reyes'] representative and we are all in agreement there are elevated thyroid levels," Minaya said.
	 
The GM would not speculate when Reyes will be cleared for baseball activities.
	 
Reyes has not made his Grapefruit League debut this spring. Last week, he received blood testing as part of a physical and was cleared to resume baseball activities, but on Friday team physicians requested he return to New York because of concerns about his thyroid levels.
	 
This offseason, the Mets and Carlos Beltran disagreed on the course of action for his injured knee, with Beltran having surgery that the team may not have agreed to.
	 
That followed a season in which some diagnoses and return times for injured players turned out to be inaccurate or too optimistic.

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K-Rod: I have no idea who Gossage is

March 09, 2010 , ι By MIKE PUMA

PORT ST. LUCIE --- Goose who? Francisco Rodriguez is just fine with Goose Gossage's assessment of him.Gossage referred to K-Rod as a "clown" in a recent interview, citing Rodriguez's penchant for... Read on

PORT ST. LUCIE --- Goose who? Francisco Rodriguez is just fine with Goose Gossage's assessment of him.
	 
Gossage referred to K-Rod
	 as a "clown" in a recent interview, citing Rodriguez's penchant for theatrics on the mound, but Rodriguez shrugged off Gossage's comment Tuesday.
	 
"I have no idea who he is," Rodriguez said.
	 
Told about Gossage, a Hall of Fame reliever who had his best years pitching for the Yankees in the 1970s and '80s, Rodriguez took the high road.
	 
"We all have an opinion," Rodriguez said. "That's his opinion and you've got to respect it. I don't care. It doesn't bother me at all."
	 
That's a different stance than Rodriguez took last season, when Brian Bruney made a similar comment. Rodriguez sought out Bruney the following day during batting practice at Yankee Stadium and had to be restrained from the Yankees reliever.
	 
Rodriguez threw a bullpen session, his first workout since returning to the team after a bout with pinkeye. He will likely make his Grapefruit League debut later this week.

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Mets' Pelfrey throws with sore leg; K-Rod back

March 09, 2010 , ι ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey returned to the mound Tuesday after being sidelined by a sore right leg. Pelfrey was struck on the outside of the knee by a comebacker during his... Read on

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey returned to the mound Tuesday after being sidelined by a sore right leg.
	 
Pelfrey was struck on the outside of the knee by a comebacker during his first spring start Saturday. He stayed in the game against the Nationals and pitched three innings, but he pushed a scheduled bullpen session back a day because the leg was sore.
	 
Pelfrey said he still had a large bruise but was planning to make his next scheduled start Thursday against the Red Sox.
	 
“It’s a little sore but tolerable,” he said. “Hopefully after two more days it will feel a lot better.”
	 
Pitching coach Dan Warthen surprised Pelfrey during his bullpen session by hitting grounders to him after his pitches in order to test the leg in a game-like situation. Pelfrey said he had no problems pitching or fielding.
	 
“I felt good on the mound,” he said. “It felt weird taking two days off and then throwing again, but everything was fine.”
	 
Closer Francisco Rodriguez, who missed more than two weeks of camp with conjunctivitis, also threw a bullpen session. It was his first time on a mound since Feb. 28.
	 
Rodriguez returned to camp Monday and could pitch in a game as soon as Saturday.
	 
“This is my Day 1 basically — Day 1 after two or three weeks of practice,” Rodriguez said. “I feel good. That’s the main thing.”
	 
Rodriguez was pleased with the workout, especially his location, and said he didn’t feel rusty despite being limited to flat ground while away from the team.
	 
“The ball was coming out of my hand well,” Rodriguez said. “The location was great, so I am happy with the results. I have to go back there tomorrow, and we will see how I feel.”
	 
Rodriguez, who is scheduled for another bullpen Wednesday, still has pink eye but it’s no longer considered contagious. Because he isn’t allowed to wear contact lenses yet, he sported prescription sunglasses similar to the ones he wore from 2003-07 while pitching for the Angels.
	 
He said he has to adjust to wearing the glasses, but he plans to wear them at least for a couple more weeks.
	 
“My best years in the American League were wearing those goggles, so hopefully it will be that way over here,” Rodriguez said.

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Mets' Santana hit hard by Astros

March 09, 2010 , ι ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Johan Santana struggled in his first game since August, allowing four runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings, and the Mets lost to the Astros 8-4 on Tuesday. Kaz Matsui hit a solo homer... Read on

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Johan Santana struggled in his first game since August, allowing four runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings, and the Mets lost to the Astros 8-4 on Tuesday.
	 
Kaz Matsui hit a solo homer for the first of four straight hits in the first inning off Santana, who struck out one and walked one.
	 
The left-hander made it through the short outing with no setbacks as he continues to build strength following Sept. 1 surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. Santana had reached his pitch count when he was pulled from the game.
	 
“They made me work today,” said Santana, who threw 33 of 47 pitches for strikes. “They were swinging right away, but I feel good because I was able to throw all my pitches. I was a little off with my mechanics and release of the ball, but that’s part of spring training. That’s what we are here for, trying to make adjustments and throw my pitches. The good thing is I felt good. I didn’t feel any problems with my arm.”
	 
The two-time Cy Young winner said he held back some in his first outing but was glad to be back in a live game.
	 
“Mentally you feel good because that’s one of the big steps you have to make to finally get into a real game and see how your arm reacts to that surgery,” Santana said. “Overall, I felt pretty good.”
	 
Astros right-hander Brett Myers, the former Phillies ace who is projected as the No. 3 starter in Houston, showed progress in his second outing of the spring. Continuing to work on his slider, he gave up two runs on four hits in three innings, including a two-run homer to David Wright in the first. Myers struck out one and walked one.
	 
“The first inning I struggled a little bit trying to make an adjustment to the mound and the things we worked on in the bullpen,” Myers said. “You go from different mound to different mound, and it just took me a little longer than I wanted to make the adjustment.”
	 
Pedro Feliz, another free agent pickup from the Phillies, hit a two-run homer for Houston.
	 
Mets first base prospect Ike Davis, a first-round draft pick in 2008, continued to impress with his second home run of the spring in the seventh inning. He likely will start the season in the minor leagues, but manager Jerry Manuel wants a good look at him in camp.
	 
“He has a real fluid, powerful swing, and you’ve got to give him some thought when that kid hits the ball out to center field, grand slams and so forth,” Manuel said.

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K-Rod returns to Mets; Escobar has to stop throwing

March 08, 2010 , ι ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Closer Francisco Rodriguez returned to Mets camp on Monday after being hampered by pink eye for more than two weeks. Rodriguez had been told to stay away from the team until the... Read on

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Closer Francisco Rodriguez returned to Mets camp on Monday after being hampered by pink eye for more than two weeks.
	 
Rodriguez had been told to stay away from the team until the pink eye cleared, but the contagious infection took longer than expected to improve. He was sick when he reported to the Mets' spring facility, but it went undiagnosed until just before full-squad workouts began Feb. 25.
	 
GOSSAGE: K-ROD'S A CLOWN
	 
The right-hander said he went to the doctor on Friday and was cleared to return Monday, although he still is infected. He continues to take eye drops and isn’t allowed to wear contacts yet.
	 
“It feels much better,” Rodriguez said. “It’s still a little uncomfortable, but it’s good to be around. I was cleared to be around the guys, so it’s fine.”
	 
While away from the team, Rodriguez was limited to playing catch with his brother, Edward, in the driveway of the closer’s home. But Rodriguez is not worried about his progress. He said he probably only needs one bullpen session before pitching in a game, and is looking forward to getting back into a regular routine.
	 
Rodriguez last stepped on a mound about a week ago when he emerged from hiding for a light bullpen session.
	 
“It’s not the same thing playing catch as doing bullpens, being on the field and doing field drills,” Rodriguez said. “It’s completely different, but the good thing is I played winter ball and I am good.”
	 
Rodriguez first had conjunctivitis in his left eye but it quickly spread to the right eye. He said his entire family back in Venezuela has conjunctivitis as well, and now his brother has it in both eyes.
	 
Rodriguez said he plans to wear prescription sunglasses for a few weeks until his eyes feel completely healthy.
	 
“The first couple days the infection was really strong, and I kind of lost the vision,” Rodriguez said. “It made it a little blurry, but right now I don’t have that, so it’s good.”
	 
*
	 
Reliever Kelvim Escobar has had to stop throwing after feeling discomfort in his right shoulder.
	 
"When I tried to throw last week, it was weak,"
	 Escobar told NJ.com. "It didn't feel right."
	 
The Mets signed Escobar this offseason hoping he could be the setup man for Rodriguez.
	 
"It's tough," Escobar said. "Coming to a new team, you don't want to be in this position. I get frustrated and embarrassed being here like this, but it is what it is."

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Martinez, Davis star in Mets' win

March 06, 2010 , ι By MIKE PUMA

Fernando Martinez was the Mets' offensive star, with a 4-for-4 performance that included two solo homers, in a 14-6 win over the Nationals today.Martinez is competing for a roster spot as the team's... Read on

Fernando Martinez was the Mets' offensive star, with a 4-for-4 performance that included two solo homers, in a 14-6 win over the Nationals today.
	 
Martinez is competing for a roster spot as the team's fifth outfielder.
	 
"To see [Martinez's] display of power, especially on offspeed pitches was impressive today," Jerry Manuel said. "When we had him in New York I didn't see him handle that pitch very well. To see him take good swings at it and put it in play with that type of authority shows he is maturing."
	 
Ike Davis made a first-inning fielding error that led to the Nationals scoring an unearned run, but went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to continue an impressive spring at the plate. Davis is batting .538 with a homer and six RBIs over the Mets' first five Grapefruit League games.
	 
Mike Pelfrey allowed seven hits and four runs over three innings, including a three-run homer to Eric Bruntlett.
	 
Cristian Guzman hit a line drive off the outside of Pelfrey's right knee in the second inning, but the right-hander escaped with a contusion and remained in the game.
	 
"Early on I was trying to spot up and hit some locations and I didn't do a very good job of it," Pelfrey said. "I made one bad mistake, a sinker in to Bruntlett that he hit out."

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'Concerned' Reyes returns to New York for tests on thyroid

March 05, 2010 , ι By MIKE PUMA

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Jose Reyes is headed back to New York for further medical evaluation, after recent tests revealed he may have a hyperactive thyroid.The Mets shortstop will be examined Monday by... Read on

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Jose Reyes is headed back to New York for further medical evaluation, after recent tests revealed he may have a hyperactive thyroid.
	 
The Mets shortstop will be examined Monday by team physicians, but results might not be known until later in the week.
	 
For the second straight day, Reyes was scratched from the Mets' lineup. He is yet to make his Grapefruit League debut this spring after returning strong from the right hamstring problems that sabotaged his 2009 season.
	 
Reyes underwent a blood test Thursday morning in conjunction with a team physical. He received word after the blood test that he was fine and could resume playing, but team physicians later reviewed the results and decided further evaluation was needed.
	 
The thyroid gland -- which is found in the neck -- and the hormones it releases are responsible for regulating a person's metabolism.
	 
"I'm concerned about it because it's something I didn't expect to happen to my body," said Reyes, adding that he has no history of thyroid problems. "But I'm going to New York to do whatever it is they ask me to do."
	 
Reyes said he feels fine physically and hasn't detected any symptoms that would make him believe he is unhealthy.
	 
Reyes played in a Monday intersquad scrimmage and tripled in his first at-bat, but was scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League opener, along with several other starters, because of wet field conditions. He did not make the two-hour trip to Kissimmee for Wednesday's game against the Braves and was scratched from Thursday's lineup to visit the doctor. Reyes was removed from Friday's lineup about two hours before a split-squad game against the Marlins.
	 
Omar Minaya said team physicians want to be "conservatively cautious" with Reyes.
	 
"I know he wanted to get out there and play today," Minaya said. "I know he wants to go out there in uniform. He would love to be out there and play, but we're being cautious."
	 
Reyes said he expects to return here by Tuesday, but because it could take up to 48 hours for the Mets to receive test results, it's possible he'll remain sidelined until at least late next week.
	 
"This is important, maybe [more] important than baseball right now, because we're not talking about my leg," Reyes said. "We're talking about my health, so that is even worse."

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About the Author

MIKE PUMA Mike Puma became Mets beat writer for The Post in February 2010 after three years as a general assignment baseball reporter. The Fordham alumnus began covering Major League Baseball, concentrating on the Yankees and Mets, in 1998 as a reporter and columnist for the Connecticut Post. He has covered seven World Series and holds a Hall of Fame vote.

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