Pedro Martinez will make his fourth rehab start Monday night, pitching for Single-A St. Lucie at Palm Beach.
Though Martinez has pitched at Single-A in his three rehab outings so far, the Mets essentially view the specific minor league level as unimportant. Omar Minaya said yesterday Martinez doesn’t have to pitch above Single-A before returning to the Mets.
Martinez pitched five innings for St. Lucie this past Monday, allowing no earned runs on two hits. Minaya said Martinez’s progress is at play-it-by-ear status, though the odds are he’ll have a fifth rehab outing as he recovers from rotator cuff surgery.
The reason Martinez, estimated to throw between 80-90 pitches Monday, is getting six days’ rest between outings is because he slept on his neck wrong last week and because the Mets eventually have to slot him into their major league rotation, so they need to keep him on an accompanying schedule.
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Paul Lo Duca was set to play his first rehab game for Single-A Brooklyn last night but it was canceled because of fog. He’s set to catch the first game of a doubleheader for Brooklyn today, then serve as the DH in the nightcap.
Lo Duca also is scheduled to play tomorrow for Double-A Binghamton. He’s been out with an ailing right hamstring and expects to come off the disabled list Monday.
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Willie Randolph said yesterday he could move Moises Alou to the fifth spot in the lineup and drop Carlos Delgado to sixth. . . . Randolph also said sidearming rookie reliever Joe Smith will return Sept. 1 when rosters expand. The manager said, “He’s coming back, and hopefully when he comes back, he’s pitching like he did earlier in the season.”
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Shawn Green said he was told by Randolph last week in Pittsburgh that the manager was going to give Lastings Milledge more playing time and that the right-field starter would be determined daily. Green, a free agent after this season, said he’s not sure if he’ll play next year.
The Mets should figure out a way to have Milledge lead off as many innings as possible. He was batting .354 (11-for-31) leading off an inning after last night’s 9-8 loss to the Padres.
“I’m more comfortable leading off,” Milledge said, adding, “the guy doesn’t want to walk you, so you get better pitches.”