JUPITER, Fla. — Jerry Manuel said yesterday that if Jenrry Mejia or Ruben Tejada makes the Mets’ Opening Day roster, they won’t immediately be the eighth-inning reliever or starting shortstop, respectively, because of their inexperience.
“I think if [Mejia] is a guy — and he has been very exciting so far — but I think it’s something that if he is a guy that happens to come with us, then we’d have to work him into that [eighth-inning role],” Manuel said. “Not necessarily start in that fashion with him.”
Manuel said that also is the case for Tejada. Assuming Jose Reyes isn’t ready to start the season, Alex Cora will be the starting shortstop.
PHILLIES’ LIDGE DOESN’T EXPECT TO BE READY FOR OPENER
“Cora would be the guy at this time,” Manuel said. “If you happen to take a young player, you would almost have to treat it the same as Mejia. You’d have to find the right spots that you think a guy would have a chance to have success, and then obviously after that comes confidence, and then you let him go.
“It would be kind of the same thing but a position player.”
Manuel’s decree means that if Mejia’s on the roster, the Mets need an eighth-inning reliever to begin the season. Candidates include Ryota Igarashi, Bobby Parnell and Kiko Calero.
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Pedro Feliciano took a comebacker off his right knee and left last night’s 5-2 win over the Marlins but said he was fine.
Oliver Perez pitched four mediocre innings, allowing two runs in 73 pitches. Jason Bay also blasted a two-run homer, and Igarashi and Francisco Rodriguez threw a scoreless inning apiece, and Hisanori Takahashi threw 2 1/3 scoreless frames.
Manuel praised Igarashi’s fastball-splitter combo and said of his fiery demeanor, “I like the fight.”
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Johan Santana faces the Twins today for the first time since being traded after the 2007 season. . . . Manuel on whether Daniel Murphy is the starter at first base: “Yeah, I like Murphy. But it’s still a competitive situation.” . . . The Mets and Marlins will play a three-game series in Puerto Rico from June 28-30. The Marlins are the home team.