Meanwhile the 20-year old Jenrry Mejia drew rave reviews in his first appearance of the spring. He had an absolutely electrifying debut, striking out four batters in a perfect 2.1 innings of work while showing off his blistering 96 mph heater.
The cutting action on his fastball was so good that batters were swinging and missing the ball by a foot or more. Although he has been labeled as being somewhat wild, he showed great command of the strike zone this afternoon.
It was remarkable to see opposing batters literally talking to themselves and swinging wildly at his offerings. Newsday’s John Lennon tweeted that Manuel compared Mejia’s fastball to the great Rivera and exclaimed, “Got to get him on the team!”
“Wooo, wooo, man oh man,” Manuel said. “I told y’all. The eighth inning would look pretty good for Mejia, wouldn’t it?” - link
The two-time Cy Young winner walked a batter in the first simulated inning Thursday, but especially was pleased to see Josh Thole, who is known as a good contact hitter, swing and miss at a couple of his sliders. Thole and fellow catcher Rod Barajas were the two batters Santana faced.
"They didn't know what was coming, so it was good to see that action in my slider going down," Santana said. As for his changeup, "I threw one to Barajas where he swung and missed, and that's the thing they want to see."
Santana said the surgery helped him find a better release point for his pitches, which will make him more effective on the mound.
"Now I am able to extend my arm and release the ball in front of me and be able to throw my slider," Santana said. "It's a big difference from last year. I am able to now throw my pitches and let everything go. Last year I wasn't able to do that. It will help all my pitches because now I am able to hide the ball better and extend to throw the ball better." - link
Orlando Hernandez is still working out and throwing because he wants to play in the majors again, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com. El Duque, 44, says he's willing to start or relieve. His agent says several teams are interested, but not quite yet. They'd prefer to wait until after Spring Training to assess their needs. Hernandez, who signed with the Rangers last year but never made the club, is throwing 82-83 mph, according to Reds scouting director Chris Buckley. Hernandez is focused on returning to the majors for the first time since 2007, but he can see himself working for his agency once he stops pitching. - link
Jose Reyes wouldn’t be the first athlete to have a career ended abruptly. Just last year Cuttino Mobley had to retire after a trade to the Knicks because of heart problems. A hamstring can heal, but a thyroid doesn’t seem to have the “day to day” feel.
Obviously this is bigger than just baseball as Reyes should be concerned about his health. The early reports are that he will be ok, but that is what was said last year about Reyes and a host of other players. Maybe this is more of an example of the Mets new conservative “prevention and recovery” program, than a concern about the baseball mortality of the Mets most indispensible player.
First and foremost let’s hope Jose Reyes is healthy for his own sake. If he is than hopefully his baseball career is not in jeopardy. If not the future of the Mets just became very murky. - link
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