NewsMets' Reyes exits game, may land on DL
Shortstop aggravates previous injury to right calf
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
05/21/09 2:42 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- When the Mets' charter plane set a course for Boston late Wednesday night, Jose Reyes was on it. But he will not remain with his teammates for long.Reyes and trainer Ray Ramirez planned on hitching a flight back to New York on Thursday after the shortstop aggravated a right calf injury that has plagued him for the past eight days. Attempting to play through the pain, Reyes instead may be headed to the disabled list.
"He felt some pain and discomfort," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "It was obvious that he was struggling. But how much damage he had done or was it just a shock of pain, we don't know."
Reyes, admittedly playing at less than 100 percent, felt significant pain during his at-bat in the third inning Wednesday. And while running up the line on a ground ball to the right side, he said he felt even more pain than he had in recent days.
Reyes did not join his teammates on the field for the bottom of the inning, replaced at shortstop by Ramon Martinez.
"It's the same problem that I've had the last couple of days," Reyes said. "It still bothers me. It's still painful."
Complicating the situation is the fact that regular backup Alex Cora is already on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his right thumb and could be out for several weeks. Martinez, forced to fly across the country and start Monday's game with both Reyes and Cora injured, is hardly an everyday player.
The Mets have no obvious solutions on their active roster or in their Minor Leagues, which could become a significant problem if Reyes lands on the disabled list. Already playing without regular first baseman Carlos Delgado and catcher Brian Schneider, the Mets have been exposed in recent games for their lack of offensive production.
"It's not a good feeling," Mets setup man J.J. Putz said of seeing Reyes injured. "He's kind of the spark plug of this team. He gets everyone rolling and any day that we don't have him in the lineup definitely hurts.
Which is why the Mets will be hoping for good news on Thursday. Reyes originally felt what the Mets termed a "stiff right calf" prior to last Thursday's game against the Braves. In the midst of five straight games on the bench, that diagnosis morphed into a mild case of tendinitis.
It wasn't until Tuesday that Reyes finally felt well enough to play through his pain. But now, after aggravating the injury, Reyes said that it hurt simply to stand.
"I don't know about disabled list," Reyes said. "We have to see the doctor first and see if I'm going to be on the disabled list or take a couple more days and see how I'm feeling.
"I've been feeling it all the time. I just played because I want to play. But that thing doesn't feel right at all."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
