Reyes is KO’d by rib injury
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Mets switch-hitting leadoff batter Jose Reyes was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup and likely won’t see action until Friday at the earliest after suffering a left intercostal strain during the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
“We’re gonna take it day by day, see what happens,” Reyes said of the muscles between ribs while at his locker before Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to St. Louis. “Today’s gonna be treatment day, put a lot of ice on it, see how I’m feeling (Thursday). Try to go from there.”
Reyes is the latest Met to suffer a nagging injury that is serious enough to keep him out of the lineup, but that doesn’t appear severe enough to land him on the disabled list.
“You never know how many days that’s going to be. There’s no way to guess,” Terry Collins said of Reyes’ injury. “Any time you see day-to-day, you just got to get ready and make sure other guys are prepared.”
Collins added that Reyes got a shot Tuesday night, presumably to address the pain on the left side of his chest. Reyes said he had a similar injury when he broke a rib on the left side of his chest during the first week of the 2015 season while with Toronto.
“Thank God my rib is fine,” said Reyes. “Just the muscle.”
With Thursday’s game scheduled for 1:10 p.m., Collins said he would be “very, very careful” about using Reyes against the Rockies, even if Reyes is feeling like he can play.
“If (Reyes) is OK on Friday, that’d be a good night for him to play,” said Collins.
PAGING WILMER
Wilmer Flores replaced Reyes Wednesday and went 1-for-4. Flores has not had great success against right-handers so far this season — against RHPs entering Wednesday’s game against St. Louis righty Adam Wainwright was .230/.293/.373 — but Collins said he’s been encouraged by Flores’ recent at-bats and is confident Flores can improve those numbers.
“One of the things we talked about (Wednesday) in our staff meeting is how well (Flores) is hitting the ball to right-center field right now. We know he’s been real quick inside. But right now he’s taking the ball away and not trying to pull it,” said Collins. “If he stays with that game plan, he’ll have a lot more success against right-handers.”
Flores has been punishing southpaws to the tune of .333/.385/.683. The Mets are scheduled to face two left-handers in the next three days: Colorado’s Tyler Anderson Thursday and Jorge De La Rosa Saturday.
IN NEIL WE TRUST
Despite second baseman Neil Walker’s struggles at the plate this month — entering the game he was batting .148 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI — Collins said he would stick with the switch-hitting Walker for now, even though Collins said “you always have to” consider possibly replacing a slumping starter if it makes sense for the team.
“I think in the back of your mind, no matter who it is, but right now the plan moving forward is to stay with Neil,” said Collins.
“OK, you had a bad month, bounce back from it. Good test for him (Wednesday) night. We don’t have a lot of guys who have faced (Wainwright), and he’s one of them. And hopefully he can have a big night against (Wainwright).”
Entering Wednesday’s game, Walker was a career 9-for-32 (.281) against Wainwright but went 3-for-3 against him including an RBI single in the second inning to give the Mets an early lead.