Daniel Murphy might not be ready for Opening Day

Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, who strained his right hamstring last Thursday, may not be ready in time for Opening Day on April 6.

The Mets noted a few days ago that Murphy was expected back for the opener, but GM Sandy Alderson changed his tune on Friday. Said Alderson to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York:

"For him [Murphy] to come back sooner than roughly Opening Day would be a little surprising. But given the way he felt — and the fact that it was a very mild strain — it’s still a possibility he will be ready."

In Murphy’s stead, Matt Reynolds, Daniel Muno, and Ruben Tejada have been getting time at second base.

While Terry Collins has noted that Tejada is part of the discussion to start if Murphy isn’t ready, Alderson has all but nixed that idea, leaving it between Reynolds and Muno should the need arise.

Thoughts:

With Opening Day just 10 days away, if the Mets truly feel like Murphy won’t be ready, it would make sense for them to not play him in any Grapefruit League games between now and then. Instead, when he’s ready to play, Murphy can get action in B-games or minor league games.

If the Mets employ the above strategy, they can backdate Murphy’s potential disabled list, according to Rubin, they can back-date his DL stint nine days into Spring Training, making him eligible for activation on April 12.

As far as who would get the nod between Reynolds and Muno, the odds appear to be in Reynolds’ favor.

Reynolds is much more highly thought of in the organization, and his name has been thrown around as a potential replacement for Wilmer Flores in the event Flores isn’t able to hack it at shortstop.

While Reynolds may eventually wind up as a backup, there are some who believe he can be a starter – either at shortstop or second base. The same can’t be said for Muno, whose ceiling is viewed as a utility guy.