ST. LOUIS — Mike Baxter’s legacy is secure because of one defensive play, but his tenure with the Mets is over.
The Whitestone native was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers on Thursday, joining lefty reliever Robert Carson, who was claimed by the Angels, in heading west.
Baxter, 28, split the season between Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mets. In 74 games for the Mets, he hit .189 with no homers and four RBIs.
His biggest moment with the team came on June 1, 2012, when he made a lunging catch into the left-field fence in the seventh inning at Citi Field against the Cardinals to help preserve the first no-hitter in franchise history, thrown by Johan Santana.
But Baxter sustained a displaced right collarbone and fractured rib cartilage next to the sternum on the play and spent the next two months on the disabled list, and he struggled from the start this season.
Because Baxter wasn’t on the Dodgers’ roster before Sept. 1, he is ineligible to play for them in the postseason. The Cardinals and Dodgers will play Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Friday.
The 24-year-old Carson also split time between Las Vegas and the Mets. In 14 appearances for the Mets he posted an 8.24 ERA and surrendered an alarming nine homers in 19 ²/₃ innings.
Jenrry Mejia will need a longer recovery period from his August elbow surgery than originally anticipated, according to sources. The original procedure was supposed to be arthroscopic, to clean out a bone spur and loose fragments, but Dr. David Altchek discovered an immature bone developing, and to remove it, made an incision in the elbow. Even so, Mejia is expected to begin throwing in December and could compete for a rotation spot in spring training.
The Mets want Lucas Duda, Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores to participate in a four-week nutrition and conditioning program in Michigan.
Tejada’s conditioning became an issue in 2013, with some in the organization believing he was out of shape during the season. Tejada’s season ended with a broken right fibula on Sept. 18.
The rookie Flores had fatigue issues over the final month of the season.