Morning Mets Notes: On Familia, d’Arnaud, Wheeler, & More

Here are today’s pertinent news and notes…

Jeurys Familia is dealing with tendinitis in his right elbow:

According to Mark Hale in the New York Post, Mets reliever Jeurys Familia has soreness/tendinitis in his right (pitching) elbow.  The elbow first started bothering Familia during the inning he pitched on Wednesday night, and he was unavailable last night.  Writes Hale:

"Asked if he was concerned about the situation, Familia shrugged.  ‘I want to play,’ he said.  Manager Terry Collins said he was aware of Familia’s condition before the game [Thursday] and used his bullpen accordingly."

When asked how long he’d be out, Familia responded by saying “I’ll be OK – a couple of days.”

Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar for Familia, who has been very solid recently.  I’d expect the Mets to have him examined (if he hasn’t been already) before clearing him to return to action.

Travis d’Arnaud could be a week away from starting rehab on his broken foot:

Travis d’Arnaud, who suffered a broken foot when a ball was fouled off him while catching on April 17th, is scheduled to fly to New York a week from today to be evaluated by team doctors.  It’s expected that d’Arnaud will then fly to Florida to begin rehab.  It was initially thought that d’Arnaud would miss eight weeks, but he says he may return sooner:

"I’m going to New York May 17 for a doctors appointment. I know after I see the doctor I go to Florida to start strengthening. Who knows, it could be quicker (than eight weeks), you never know."

With John Buck cooling off, it’ll be great to see d’Arnaud get back in action.  If all goes well, d’Arnaud will be back in games by early or mid June, which could pave the way for his major league debut right around the All-Star break.

Zack Wheeler could be called up soon, or not:

Yesterday, Las Vegas manager Wally Backman stated that if Zack Wheeler threw in his next two starts like he did in his prior two starts, he wouldn’t be long for AAA.  Backman speculated that Wheeler would be  “about two weeks away” from the majors in that scenario.  In the Daily News, Andy Martino quoted several Mets sources regarding the potential promotion date of Zack Wheeler.

Mar 18, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; New York Mets catcher Travis d

According to Martino, one source said Wheeler would be up by June 1st “at the latest,” while another source referred to that timetable as “a little aggressive.”  A third source opined that Wheeler’s promotion could be even further off, occurring sometime in July.  Regardless of the speculation, Martino continues to report that it will be Wheeler’s performance that dictates his eventual callup, not his Super Two status:

"The team has never been overly concerned about keeping Wheeler in the minors through mid-to-late June in order to avoid becoming an expensive ‘Super Two’ player, a distinction in salary arbitration determined by big league service time. Although financial considerations are not entirely irrelevant, Mets people insist the decision will be based largely on Wheeler’s readiness."

Predicting when Wheeler will be called up is and always has been a total guessing game.  If Wheeler continues to perform as he has recently and the Mets’ rotation remains unsettled, Wheeler’s big league debut could be around the corner.  Still, only Sandy Alderson knows what the true timetable is.  Wheeler next starts tomorrow for Las Vegas.

Jenrry Mejia returns to game action:

Jenrry Mejia, who was shut down during spring training with a forearm injury, has recently resumed pitching in extended spring training in Port St. Lucie.  He’s scheduled to make his first rehab start for St. Lucie (high A) tomorrow.

The Mets have been yanking Mejia back and forth from starter to reliever for the last three plus years, so It’d be nice for them to pick a plan and stick with it this time around.  If Mejia progresses and improves his command, he could be either a rotation option later in the season or a live arm to add to the bullpen (depending on the role the Mets choose for him).

Shin-Soo Choo is a potential free agent target:

In the Daily News, John Harper quotes various Mets and baseball executives who believe the team will go after free agent Shin-Soo Choo after the season:

"‘I’d bet on him being a Met next season,’ one major league exec with past ties to GM Sandy Alderson said on Thursday.  ‘He’s a high on-base percentage guy, which is what Sandy wants, and he’s a really good hitter.’"

In January, Rising Apple listed four outfielders the Mets should consider signing after 2013.  Those outfielders were Carlos Gomez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Choo.  Gomez has since signed an extension with the Brewers, so he’s off the board.

Choo, who will turn 31 in July, is hitting .323 with a major league leading .453 OBP to go along with seven homers and 15 RBI’s.  Over his nine year career, Choo’s 162 game average shakes out as follows: a .291 batting average, .385 OBP, 20 homers, 86 RBI’s, 92 runs scored, and 38 doubles.  He’s currently playing center field for the Reds, but he’s better suited in one of the corner outfield spots.  His agent is Scott Boras.

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