There are no concerns evident within the Mets clubhouse about reuniting with Francisco Rodriguez.
The Post’s Ken Davidoff reported yesterday that the Mets are interested in Rodriguez, their former closer now setting up with the Brewers. Rodriguez would unquestionably help the Mets’ beleaguered bullpen, but there are two primary issues in regard to bringing him back.
The main one is whether K-Rod — someone who had at least three incidents of combustibility during his Mets tenure — is too big of a clubhouse risk.
“The people outside don’t know what kind of guy this guy is,” catcher Josh Thole told The Post yesterday. “He made one mistake.”
Said reliever Tim Byrdak: “I never saw any of [the problems] when I was with him last year. Great guy … Nice guy to play with. He was a good teammate.”
Despite Thole’s memory, Rodriguez experienced more than just one mistake in New York. Thole’s almost certainly referring to Rodriguez’s 2010 arrest for attempted assault of his girlfriend’s father. The Mets claimed K-Rod tore thumb ligaments during the incident, and the righty didn’t pitch again that season.
But also in 2009, Rodriguez got into a pregame altercation with Yankees reliever Brian Bruney. And in 2010, Rodriguez exchanged words with Mets bullpen coach Randy Niemann.
Still, Rodriguez was on far better behavior with the Mets last year. And in his two-and-a-half years in Flushing, he posted a 3.05 ERA with 83 saves in 165 games. In his career, he had a 2.59 ERA and 292 saves before last night.
* Kirk Nieuwenhuis was a late scratch due to a bruised right hand suffered in batting practice. Manager Terry Collins did not know the severity of the injury, but said Nieuwenhuis, who saw a doctor last night, could not resume swinging.
* Jason Bay successfully took part in some running and throwing yesterday as he rehabs from last month’s concussion. He planned to do some light hitting as well, and will run, throw and hit again today. If Bay reports no problems today, he’ll head to Florida later this week to rehab.
Collins said Bay would not be ready to immediately begin rehab games, however. Bay suggested that “optimistically” he could potentially come back to the Mets “right after the All-Star break if everything goes swimmingly.” But if he’s not beginning rehab games this week, that seems doubtful.
* GM Sandy Alderson on Twitter yesterday, regarding the Giants’ Pablo Sandoval beating out David Wright for the starting All-Star 3B spot: “ASG election of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ shows the value of a cute nickname. Surprised Giants fans didn’t elect a ‘ball dude’ to start at 3B.”