For those of you that bet the under on the New York Mets' season win total on WagerWeb.com, well, you might be feeling pretty good right now.
That's because New York will be without No. 2 starter Pedro Martinez for at least 4-6 weeks with a strained hamstring suffered Tuesday against the Marlins.
Martinez has a "mild" left hamstring strain, but the team's prognosis is likely overly generous. Martinez, at 36, is not a quick healer and is likely to be out much longer.
"We're going to miss him," manager Willie Randolph said. "I really feel bad for him more than anything. The players will pick each other up, but I'm sure it's real disappointing for Pedro."
Martinez had been scheduled to next face the Phillies in the final Shea home opener on Tuesday, but Oliver Perez is expected to move up and take that start, still on an extra day's rest. John Maine and now Mike Pelfrey would presumably also face Philadelphia, since the Mets can get away with four starters until an April 11-13 series against Milwaukee.
"It's early. They're strong. Coming out of spring training, they're not fatigued," Randolph said, referring to a brief four-man rotation. "That's easy."
How shocking is this really, however? Martinez has only 27 wins to show for the first three seasons of his four-year, $53-million deal because of time missed with injuries, so this is something they are used to.
"It's an unfortunate loss," John Maine said before the game. "Everyone knows what Pedro can do, but we've been doing this for the last couple of years. That means that me, Ollie [Perez] and [Mike] Pelfrey can step up a little more."
One report had the Mets possibly signing Claudio Vargas, who released by the Brewers last month, and/or the Rangers' Robinson Tejeda, recently designated for assignment.Orlando Hernandez, who will make his first rehab start today for Class-A St. Lucie, is not eligible to come off the disabled list until April 13.
The Mets filled Martinez's roster spot by purchasing the contract of pitcher Nelson Figueroa from Triple-A New Orleans.
"You can't feel sorry for yourself," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "When somebody goes down in the lineup the hitters rally around one another and pick up the slack. I expect the same from the pitchers."
The Mets are next in action Friday in Atlanta, with John Maine scheduled to face Tim Hudson. Bet on the game at WagerWeb.com.
MARINERS LOSE CLOSER: Seattle All-Star closer J.J. Putz went on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a ribcage injury.
Mariners manager John McLaren said that no replacement closer would be designated. Rather, the team will go with a "closer by committee" system until Putz's return.
The primary ninth-inning men figure to be Eric O'Flaherty, Mark Lowe and Sean Green. McLaren said if one of those pitchers showed he could handle the closing job, he would be inclined to stick with him.
Putz, who converted 40 of 42 save opportunities last season, blew one Tuesday night by allowing a go-ahead home run to Texas' Josh Hamilton in the top of the ninth inning. Putz said he felt pain "like an ice pick stabbing me in the side' on a pitch to the batter before Hamilton. A doctor reading an MRI exam Wednesday morning said Putz had mild inflammation where the cartilage attaches to a rib on his right side.
"When I heard what it was, it was encouraging. It was the best of the bad news,' said Putz, who was still in pain on Wednesday when he moved his torso.
Putz blew his first save in his second game of the season, after saving Seattle's win Monday. He didn't blow his first save last year until July 25.
The Mariners were 75-0 last season when leading after eight innings, thanks to Putz, who was 6-1 with a 1.38 ERA in 68 games of 2007, with 82 strikeouts and just 13 walks.
Seattle is off Thursday and opens a three-game series in Baltimore on Friday. Bet on the games at WagerWeb.com.
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