Jay plays it safe, sits out again
ST. LOUIS — Jay Bruce was out of the starting lineup Thursday after suffering a tight right calf during Wednesday night’s game. The right fielder said he felt better, but he and Terry Collins decided not to risk a long-term injury by pushing it for the series finale against the Cardinals
“I was shooting for (Thursday), but now I am shooting for (Friday),” Bruce said. “This is not going to be something that lingers, I don’t think, and just taking it day-by-day, but my goal is to play (Friday).”
Bruce said he had never missed time with a calf issue before. He fouled a ball off his right calf in a game over the weekend and believes that the bruise and swelling has caused the tightness.
“We are going to try and stay away from aggravating it,” Collins said. “If we need to, we’ll use him to pinch hit. I got some guys who can run if we need him to pinch run. If we’ve got a chance to use his bat, we will.”
It’s bad timing for Bruce, who has struggled since coming to the Mets at the trade deadline. Bruce is just 13-for-77 with six RBI in 21 games with the Mets.
He has hit Thursday night’s starter Adam Wainwright fairly well in the past and that could have been a spark. Bruce is hitting .293 with two homers and 10 RBI against the Cardinals ace but did not enter Thursday’s game.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
This spring, Robert Gsellman had fans waiting for him every time he moved from field to field at the Mets’ spring training complex. They shoved baseballs and jerseys at him and yelled “Jacob! deGrom!”
“I got mistaken for deGrom all the time,” said Gsellman, who has long dark locks like the Mets ace. “Fans were disappointed when they realized it wasn't him.”
Now Gsellman is hoping to establish himself as his own pitcher. He pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in his major league debut Tuesday after Jon Niese went down with a knee injury and he is scheduled to make his first major league start on Sunday.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Gsellman said. “That’s what I did down in the minors, so it means I get to prepare the way I have prepared my whole career and I am more comfortable with it. It’s exciting.”
KNIFE FOR NIESE
Jon Niese had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee Thursday. … The Mets again ask fans to take the train to games during the U.S. Open festivities beginning this weekend. There will be very limited parking around Citi Field.