NEW YORK (AP) - The aches and pains are mounting for the New York Mets again.
Starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey and left fielder Jason Bay were placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, the latest round of bad news for a team beset by injuries to key players the past few years.
“It’s frustrating to lose a doubleheader one day and lose two players the next,” general manager Sandy Alderson said before the opener of a three-game series against Jose Reyes and the Miami Marlins.
Pelfrey had an MRI exam that showed swelling in his right elbow. Alderson said a torn ligament has not been ruled out, however, and the team does not have a final diagnosis yet. The pitcher will get a second opinion.
Alderson said even the most conservative course of treatment would probably sideline Pelfrey at least two to four weeks.
The big right-hander allowed just one run over eight innings Saturday against San Francisco in what appeared to be a very encouraging outing after he struggled to a 7-13 record and 4.74 ERA last season.
“Certainly durability has been a hallmark of Mike’s in pitching for the Mets over the years and something we’ve come to rely on, but this is part of the reality of pitching as we know it,” Alderson said. “We’re certainly hopeful that he’ll be back in a reasonable period of time.”
Pelfrey has no record and a 2.29 ERA after three starts. He said he often felt “a little grab” in his arm on his first pitch of an inning Saturday, but then it would go away. He figured it was just tendinitis.
“I feel good,” Pelfrey said. “I’ve never been on the DL and I take more pride than anything in taking the ball every five days.
“I’m not scared,” he added. “My biggest thing is, I don’t really know what to do with myself.”
Bay broke a rib on his left side trying for a diving catch during Monday’s doubleheader sweep by San Francisco. The Mets said an MRI exam showed a nondisplaced fracture, and there is no timetable for Bay’s return.
“We’ll know more in a week to 10 days, and see how he’s responded to the initial period,” Alderson said.
It’s the latest setback for Bay during a disappointing and injury-plagued tenure with the Mets since signing a $66 million, four-year contract before the 2010 season. He was batting .240 with three homers and five RBIs.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” Bay said. “I felt like I was starting to get there.”
New York recalled infielder Zach Lutz from Triple-A Buffalo and left-handed reliever Robert Carson from Double-A Binghamton. Chris Schwinden is likely to get called up from Buffalo to take Pelfrey’s next turn in the rotation Friday at Colorado.
Carson will give the Mets a second lefty in the bullpen for three games. He will likely be optioned back down to the minors when the Mets need to call up Schwinden.
“We can’t hold our heads down and worry about the things we don’t have,” manager Terry Collins said. “We’re just going to have to pick each other up as we’ve done in the past.”
Mike Baxter started in left field Tuesday night and Collins juggled his lineup, putting David Wright in the cleanup spot instead of his usual No. 3 hole. Scott Hairston and rookie Jordany Valdespin, a versatile infielder called up from the minors Monday, are other options in left.
Bay can’t do much besides ride a stationary bike until the injury heals and he begins to feel better.
“Hopefully, this isn’t an extended period of time,” Bay said. “It’s one of those things you can’t actively work through. That’s the frustrating thing. … This is just a lot of waiting at first.”
One piece of positive news for the Mets: New center fielder Andres Torres (strained calf) was scheduled to play four minor league rehab games this week before rejoining the team in time for a series that begins Monday in Houston. Torres, acquired from the Giants in an offseason trade, was put on the disabled list after re-injuring his left calf on opening day.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.