PORT ST. LUCIE — Just another day in tropical paradise for the Mets.
The already beleaguered team can only hope to have enough healthy arms to form a rotation, after Shaun Marcum and Jeremy Hefner yesterday joined the ranks of those seeking medical attention.
Of the two, Marcum’s availability to start the season seems more dubious. The veteran right-hander has “neck discomfort,” according to the team, and began treatment with an anti-inflammatory, a day after his bullpen session was curtailed because of soreness.
Hefner was hit in the pitching elbow by Carlos Beltran’s one-hop comebacker in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 11-4 exhibition loss to the Cardinals and was diagnosed with a contusion — X-rays were negative — but said he expects to be ready for the season.
But an already thin rotation minus Johan Santana is murky behind Jon Niese, Matt Harvey and Dillon Gee.
Manager Terry Collins said he’s still counting on Hefner to pitch the fourth game of the season, but isn’t so certain about Marcum, who has been scratched from his scheduled start tomorrow.
“We’ve got to figure out not only, if Shaun can’t go, who the fifth starter is and where do we set him up,” Collins said.
By default, the choice would almost certainly be lefty Aaron Laffey, the manager acknowledged. Laffey was reassigned to minor league camp on Sunday, hours after making his first start of the exhibition season — in which he flopped against the Cardinals.
Though the Nationals yesterday released Chris Young — a favorite of Mets general manager Sandy Alderson — the veteran righty likely won’t be pursued by the Mets, according to a club source. Also not an option is top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, who the Mets believe still needs seasoning at Triple-A Las Vegas.
“There’s a reason we sent [Wheeler] out,” Collins said. “He needs to go to Triple-A, he needs to face hitters in Triple-A.”
Marcum missed his last scheduled Grapefruit League start after receiving what he termed a “precautionary” cortisone shot for an impingement in his right shoulder. The Mets yesterday said the impingement is improving.
Because of the off-day following the opener, the Mets won’t need a fifth starter until April 7 against the Marlins. That spot would belong to Laffey if Marcum isn’t ready.
Collins originally planned to start Marcum the second game of the season, but isn’t sure what to expect at this point.
“He hasn’t pitched in two weeks, to have him all of a sudden ready to pitch Game 3 or 4, I would be surprised,” Collins said.
Hefner fell to the ground in a heap and departed the field in obvious pain after Beltran’s shot hit his elbow, but seemed relieved two hours later, having received the diagnosis of a contusion.
“It already feels better, so that’s a good sign,” Hefner said. “The strength is back in my hand because right after, it’s a trauma thing, and I couldn’t really grip, but that all came back and it seems to be progressing already.”
David Wright and Daniel Murphy, both of whom have been sidelined with intercostal strains, are among the other key players recovering from injuries this spring.
“Coming into this year, obviously with the make-up of the club, there certainly were a few names where you said, ‘These guys we can’t have hurt,’ ” Collins said. “Four of them are hurt, so this has been a situation. “But aAs I keep telling the guys and telling the coaches, we’re going to leave here with 25 guys,” Collins said, “and we’re going to leave some guys behind, but we’ve got to get the 25 guys that leave here ready to play. We’re not just going to go out and show up. We’re going to play well.”