MLB

A few nuggets

No huge news today yet but plenty of small updates. Here’s the rundown:

-Paul Lo Duca is off the DL and playing. Not only did he say he’s at full strength, but he encouragingly said, “This is probably the healthiest I’ve been in three years going into September.” Maybe it’ll be a strong final month for him.

Lo Duca did praise the replacement catchers — Mike DiFelice and Sandy Alomar Jr. — and he’s right. The two did a fine job with Lo Duca and Ramon Castro out. -Speaking of Castro, he’s eligible to come off the DL tomorrow but that won’t happen. He’s doing some baseball work but not much yet.

-Luis Castillo’s back in the lineup after a three-game absence because of his right knee. He said he’s pain-free.

-Endy Chavez will be activated tomorrow. The likely bet is Brian Lawrence will be designated after tonight’s start.

-Speaking of starts tonight, Pedro Martinez makes his fourth rehab start in about an hour. Willie Randolph said the Met ace will almost certainly have a fifth start, though, too. If you figure that comes Sunday or Monday, his earliest return to the Mets could come next weekend against the Astros.

-This was probably obvious, but Omar Minaya said Duaner Sanchez ain’t coming back this season.

-I’m back from my “dead arm stage” of series picks — after taking a series off, my series prediction for Philly is split right down the middle. I’ll say the Mets get two, and the Phils get two.

MY STANDINGS:

SERIES PICKED: 40

SERIES I GOT RIGHT: 21