WASHINGTON — Kelly Shoppach said he doesn’t know how his name got linked to the matter, but yesterday he denied involvement with authoring a text message to Red Sox management last month that aired grievances about Boston manager Bobby Valentine.
A published report put Shoppach squarely in the middle of the chaos, but the backup catcher, whom the Mets acquired last week in a waiver deal with the Red Sox, said the text message (which was sent from first baseman Adrian Gonzalez’s phone) wasn’t his handiwork.
Red Sox players later met with team brass to voice concerns about Valentine.
“I’m really disappointed my name was even brought up in that,” Shoppach said after the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Nationals. “I wasn’t behind any text. I actually didn’t even attend the meeting. It was on an off day in New York. I stayed back in Texas with my family.
“I’ve already gotten a few text messages from some of my former teammates, apologizing that my name was even brought up in that. Everybody who was involved in that whole situation knows that I had nothing to do with it.”
Shoppach spoke to Mets manager Terry Collins before the game to confront the matter. Collins told The Post he believes Shoppach had nothing to do with the text.
“I have to agree with what he said. It’s pretty hard to believe a guy who is a first-year player on that team would start something,” Collins said. “I listened to what he had to say and I believe him.”
* As the Mets continue to evaluate Mike Baxter and Jordany Valdespin, among others in the outfield, Lucas Duda probably won’t return to the major leagues before Sept. 1, as the team had originally thought. Duda is batting .263 with three homers and eight RBIs in 20 games for Triple-A Buffalo.
* Collins will meet today with general manager Sandy Alderson to decide which direction the club should go with Johan Santana, who is scheduled to pitch against the Rockies on Thursday. Among the options is shutting down Santana for the season, after five straight starts in which the lefty surrendered at least six runs.