Last year after the All-Star break, the Mets stunk. Starting pitching broke down and did not go deep and the bullpen got tired, and blew countless games. If only one of those games were not blown, well, the Mets would have been in the playoffs. A dark time indeed.
One bright spot in the second half of last year was Orlando "el Duque" Hernandez. He pitched very well after the All-Star break and was the one consistent starting pitcher. He had the best ERA during the September collapse, so you can't blame him.
The problem with el Duque is that he breaks down. He is 100 years old and only good for about 125-150 innings or so (though he did have 150 last year.) Steve and the Tank suggested swapping Heliman and him in starting/bullpen roles. el Duque would be middle and long relief. This would reduce him to about 75 innings a year and most likely reduce his tendency to break down and go on the DL. Also while in the bullpen, el Duque is a huge competitor and will thrive in the high pressure environment.
A perfect plan, except that this spring el Dueque balked at it this spring. That was the bad news. The worse news is that he began a rehab assignment on April 3rd and the Mets shut him down on April 8th, pretty much indefinitely due to his right foot surgery on October. Apparently as of a few weeks ago he is throwing off a mound again in Florida, but there is no timetable for his return. My guess is that at his age, he will miss the entire season.
When will he be back? It would be nice to know.
Posted by Steve in New York