Frank Francisco, who underwent surgery in December to remove bone chips in his right elbow, hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Mets this season. (Getty Images)
Frank Francisco is hurting again.
The Mets reliever, on a rehab assignment for Class A St. Lucie, is scheduled to be examined by doctors this week after his elbow “didn’t feel very good” following a recent outing, according to manager Terry Collins.
Francisco, who underwent surgery in December to remove bone chips in his right elbow, hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Mets this season. But the team had considered activating him this weekend to provide bullpen depth.
“They thought he was making progress, ready to go to [Double-A] Binghamton and he just said he didn’t feel very good,” Collins said before the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Pirates yesterday at Citi Field. “We did not have any date etched in stone that we knew he was coming.”
Francisco is making $6.5 million this season.
* Jeurys Familia was placed on the disabled list with right biceps tendinitis. Greg Burke was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill Familia’s spot in the bullpen. Collins said the Mets might have tried to avoid a DL stint with Familia if the bullpen hadn’t been overextended Friday and Saturday because of abbreviated starts by Shaun Marcum and Jon Niese.
* Zack Wheeler’s “composure” and “demeanor” were impressive in his Saturday start for Triple-A Las Vegas, according to the report Collins received from team adviser Guy Conti. Wheeler allowed two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over 7 1/3 innings against Albuquerque.
* Matt Harvey has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 consecutive starts, tied for the fifth-longest streak in team history. Dwight Gooden holds the franchise record with 24 straight starts with three earned runs allowed or fewer, from April 14 to Aug. 10, 1985.
* John Buck swiped second base in the second inning for his first steal since Sept. 20, 2009. The catcher has five career stolen bases in 979 games.