MLB

Manuel mum on struggling Matthews

Gary Matthews Jr. has become an almost automatic out, but the Mets are in no hurry to swallow the roughly $1.8 million he is owed, according to an organizational source.

A day after the team dumped struggling Frank Catalanotto and replaced him on the bench with Chris Carter, the logical question was, “Could Matthews be next?” Matthews delivered a pinch-hit single in the Mets’ 8-6 victory over the Nationals last night, but is batting .156 with an alarming 18 strikeouts in 45 at-bats.

But unlike Catalanotto, whom the Mets signed for $650,000, Matthews is still owed about $1.8 million through 2011 after the Angels agreed to pick up the bulk of his contract — about $21 million — to unload him for Brian Stokes last winter.

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TORRE NOT INTO METS

Manager Jerry Manuel offered tepid support for Matthews yesterday when asked if he had lost confidence in him.

“I don’t know Matthews the player well enough to say I’m losing confidence right now,” Manuel said. “I thought in spring training we saw a pretty good player.”

Manuel said he still doesn’t know if Matthews can handle playing on a “sporadic” basis.

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Carlos Beltran has done some light jogging in Port St. Lucie, but still has not been cleared to resume baseball activities as he continues his rehab from offseason arthroscopic knee surgery. The Mets expect Beltran to need about three weeks to get ready once he is cleared for baseball activities.

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The Mets had no update on Henry Blanco, who returned to Venezuela on Monday to be with his seriously ill mother. Blanco will remain on the bereavement list at least through today and perhaps into the next series, in Florida.

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Jon Niese tied a career-worst with the six earned runs he allowed last night. Adam Dunn‘s homer off the lefty in the first inning was only the second homer Niese had allowed to a left-handed hitter in his career. Jason Marquis, a lefty hitter, belted a grand slam against Niese on Sept. 22, 2008.