Morning Mets Notes: Daniel Murphy Appears in Minor League Game

Daniel Murphy has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring for the Mets, but he took another step toward that at minor league camp yesterday. The second baseman didn’t hit in the game, but did take some hacks in the cage beforehand, while playing the field and running the bases once the game was underway. Murph said it took a little while to get his legs underneath him, which makes sense, but felt better by the end of the game than he did at the start.

It’s been almost a month since Murphy was sidelined with a strained intercostal injury, and while it’s been a little longer than fans would’ve liked to see, the Mets took the cautious route to make sure their second baseman is ready to take the field again. I’m happy  Murph’s progressing toward a Grapefruit League game, as I’m anxious to see how he looks in advance of Opening Day, and he certainly needs a week of game action before the regular season gets underway in a couple weeks.

Oct 1, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy (28) at bat against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of intercostal injuries, David Wright was diagnosed with a moderate strain, as he didn’t feel pain while he was swinging, and only felt a little soreness when he laid down. Danny Abriano reported that Captain America has been prescribed 3-5 days of rest before re-assessing the situation. There should be no time to panic right now (as Danny outlined in his article above); Adam Rubin reported that Terry Collins is concerned about Wright’s status for Opening Day, and that’s normal, as he needs to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. However, that doesn’t mean we should all strat to freak before we even see how he reacts to a few days of rest. Let’s not forget that he was playing with this discomfort for the week, and drove in 10 runs in 4 games.

The Mets headed to Disney to face the Atlanta Braves yesterday, and they beat their division rivals 5-2. The game was highlighted by a Lucas Duda home run, as well as a strong outing from Jeremy Hefner. He’s seen as the favorite to fill in for Johan Santana to start the season, and he’s continuing to solidify that spot. The right-hander went five innings and gave up two runs (a pair of solo homers) on five hits, one walk, and struck out seven (six in a row to finish his outing). You can get the Rising Apple recap right here.

There was plenty of quality content on Rising Apple to help you finish your work week strong. Did you miss any of it? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. In addition to his news about David Wright, he kept us up-to-the-minute with the day’s news and notes, while providing part five of this week’s MLB preview series, analyzing the National League West. Dan Haefeli took a positive stance on Lucas Duda, saying the left fielder actually isn’t struggling at the plate this spring, on the heels of a booming homer against the Braves. This week’s Rising Apple Player of the Week award went to Matt Harvey, and Will DeBoer gave us this week’s Rising Apple top ten list, which were the ten things David Wright tried to accomplish while at the World Baseball Classic.

New York welcomes the Miami Marlins to Tradition Field this afternoon at 1:05p, which can be seen on SNY and heard on WFAN.

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