MILWAUKEE – A freak collision with the home-plate umpire today left Carlos Beltran in limbo with a bruised right knee.
Beltran exited in the ninth inning after sliding into umpire Ed Rapuano – upending the out-of-position Rapuano in the process – while scoring from first on double by Ryan Church in the eighth.
The Mets said Beltran is day-to-day and wouldn’t require an MRI exam. Beltran, though, said he would know better after seeing how his knee responds to a workout before tomorrow night’s game.
“Being honest, I’m not worried,” Beltran said. “But it all depends on [tomorrow]. That’s when we’ll decide what we’re going to do.”
Beltran was shocked to run into Rapuano, who inexplicably was standing around the batter’s box.
“He asked me how I was doing, and I said, `Yeah, look at me, I’m limping,” Beltran said. “He’s a good guy, though, and he didn’t mean to [do it].”
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Closer Billy Wagner continued to show encouraging progress today, throwing 25 pitches off the mound at Shea Stadium. Wagner has been on the disabled list since early August with a strained left forearm and swelling in his left elbow. According to the Mets, Wagner could pitch in a minor-league rehab game as soon as this week.
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Pedro Martinez was sent back to New York today from the final three games of this trip so he can work alongside Wagner with a personal trainer this week at Shea. John Ricco, the Mets’ assistant GM, said there are no health issues involved, and Martinez remains on schedule to start Saturday afternoon at Shea against the Phillies.
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The addition of veteran reliever Ricardo Rincon alongside Pedro Feliciano and Scott Schoeneweis gives the Mets the benefit of three lefties in the bullpen in September, and that number would grow to four if Wagner comes back from his arm woes.
It’s going to be very valuable, because they’re specialty guys,” Jerry Manuel said of having so many lefties. “To have that many down there is a luxury, really, but they have to get people out.”
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Young lefty Jon Niese will make his major league debut here tomorrow when he takes on fellow lefty Manny Parra of the Brewers. How nervous are the Mets about Niese’s debut? They refused to let him speak with reporters today.
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Veteran righty reliever Al Reyes’ arrival was delayed until tomorrow so Reyes could finish the Double-A season with his Binghamton teammates.
bhubbuch@nypost.com