NON MEJIA CULPA
JENRRY RETURNS TO METS, WON’T TALK ABOUT BAN
SANFRANCISCO— Jenrry Mejia did his time for the crime, but there was a better chance of him bungee jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday than admitting to wrongdoing.
In rejoining the Mets after serving an 80game suspension following a positive test for banned performanceenhancing drugs, Mejia said he spoke with teammates. But the nature of those conversations would remain private, he said, and there would be no public apology for his actions. No mea culpa? “Everything is in the past,” Mejia said before the Mets faced the Giants at AT& T Park. “I have come here to play baseball and I don’t want to speak too much about it. That is what happened before. Now I have to play baseball and do the best I can with it.”
Mejia’s season was already headed in the wrong direction on Opening Day in Washington, when he was unavailable to pitch because of discomfort in his right elbow. He was placed on the disabled list the following day with swelling in the elbow. Then came the bombshell four days later: Mejia had tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol and would be suspended for 80 games.
The suspension cost Mejia $ 1.2 million and he is ineligible for the postseason should the Mets advance.
“I’ve talked with him and as far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” general manager Sandy Alderson said. “He understands he made a mistake and at the same time I don’t think there is any need to publicly recognize that.”
The Mets bullpen has hardly missed a beat in Mejia’s absence. Jeurys Familia made a smooth transition into the closer’s role and entered Tuesday with 23 saves in 25 chances and is among the five players under consideration for the final spot on the NL All-Star roster. The Mets bullpen entered play fifth in the majors with a 2.79 ERA.
“I like what [ Familia] is doing,” Mejia said. “Now I’m happy because [ Bobby] Parnell is back and I’m here to do the job. We are here to help the team get to the playoffs.”
In the setup role, the Mets have used a combination that includes Carlos Torres, Erik Goeddel, Parnell and Hansel Robles. Mejia will join that mix.
Manager Terry Collins spoke to Mejia and reminded him he has the stuff to make a difference in the Mets bullpen. But Collins indicated there was no need for Mejia to issue an apology to anybody.
“It doesn’t matter,” Collins said. “It happened. The guy is back. I’m not going to live three months ago. He’s here to help, that is all we talked about— what he is going to do from here in out. I know this kid very well and I know he feels terrible aboutwhat happened, but we’ve got to get ready for the future.”
Mejia’s breakout came last season, when he shifted fromthe starting rotation to bullpen and went 66 with a 3.65 ERA and 28 saves.
“I’m here to play baseball and I’ll do whatever they tell me to do,” Mejia said.
At the time of his suspension, Mejia said in a statement he had “no idea” how banned performance enhancers had ended up in his system. Asked Tuesday if he had figured out what happened, Mejia danced around the question.
“That was in the past,” Mejia said. “Don’t make me feel bad. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Mejia worked out in the Dominican Republic during his suspension and says he watched the games on TV. He began a minor league assignment three weeks to prepare for his return.
“My arm is much better,” Mejia said, referring to the April elbow soreness. “I am ready to go.” Is he sorry for anything? “It is what it is,” Mejia said. “That will stay in the past. I did what I did and now I will come here to move forward and do the best I can on the field.”