Mack On: Reese Havens. Trey Rackel, Robert Carson, Chris Schwinden

      ·         The Mets announced that 2B Reese Havens was shut down and will get a cortisone shot in his back. So, let me understand this. His back hurts the day he arrives to camp? Fernando Martinez even showed up healthy, right? The Mets need to make a very important decision here. Both Havens and Jordany Valdespin are scheduled to play AAA this year and every scout will tell you that Valdespin is really a second baseman. Send Havens back to Binghamton until he’s 100% (if ever) and let Spin get a fair shot.

·         Trey Rackel checked in. Trey was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Mets in 2009. He went 2-2, 3.37, 1.24, 15-G, 26.2-IP, 26-K for the 2009 GCL Mets, was promoted to St. Lucie (1-0, 0.00, 0.33) and then disappeared after the injury bug set in. He simply never got another chance. “Rack filled me in where he is:

Hey long time no talk hope all is well!! Bet your excited for baseball to be back... I have finally found a place to play again here at home in Houston the new team in the Atlantic League called the Sugarland Skeeters. Hope all is well

 Check him out this season at: http://www.sugarlandskeeters.com/index.cfm

·         Adam Rubin reported that RP Robert Carson has been cleared to pitch again which is good news for both him and the Mets. Statistically, Carson hasn’t proven he can make it to the dance, but he is one of the few left handed pitchers in a system that currently has only one on their parent team. He’s got an outside chance of making it to Queens on opening day, but it’s going to take a stellar spring to get there.

·         I asked Chris Schwinden if he was happy with the results of his first outing in the second intrasquad game:

“Ya! There are some minor adjustments to be made of corse. It was good to get on the mound again and face hitters.”

Chris is probably destined to start the season back in Buffalo, though everyone knows that there is a slot open in the rotation once the “Johan Santana push for opening day” comes to a screeching halt.

He’ll well aware of what is coming behind him (Harvey, Familia…) and knows the Rule 5 Draft is right down the road. I don’t expect him to be converted to a reliever. This will be Schwinden’s defining season.