On Thursday July 15, the Mets are expecting Carlos Beltran to bat 4th in the lineup, and play CF. Manual will play him 5 days a week. He'll switch off playing, center-field, left-field, and right-field. That means Pagan, Bay , and Francoeur, will get benched more often. If I were Manuel, the starting lineup would be 1. Reyes(Reyes won't start Thursday due to a back injury) 2. Davis 3.Wright 4. Beltran 5. Bay 6. Pagan 7. Barajas (Thole) 8. Tejada.
The real question is not what to do with the sudden surplus of outfielders. The real question is how serious is the Reyes injury.
ReplyDeleteAt the outset, Beltran, Francoeur and Bay should share playing time. Pagan, however, should continue to play full time. After a few weeks, if Beltran appears to be playing at or near prior levels, Francoeur will have to sit.
ReplyDeleteBeltran hasn't played at a major league level for so long it's like he's in spring training. It's going to take him awhile to get into his best playing shape. The Mets are in a pennant race and can't afford to wait too long.
ReplyDelete