The Mets may have nothing meaningful to play for the rest of the season, but Carlos Delgado does. It was only Sunday that Jerry Manuel said the soon-to-be free agent had a “very slim” chance to play again this season, but the manager amended his previous prognostication prior to last night’s loss.
“That’s been upgraded,” Manuel said. “Seeing him do a few things, I think we are looking at maybe the last two weeks as a possibility for him playing.”
Delgado, who was at Citi Field yesterday for team pictures, was unavailable for comment. He briefly played in the field during batting practice, taking throws at first base from second baseman Luis Castillo and throwing balls to home.
The first baseman has played in only 26 games this year, sidelined since May after hip surgery and a strained oblique while rehabbing.
“I think that’s behind him right now,” Manuel said of the latter injury.
Delgado, 37, hadn’t played less than 128 games since 1995, but his age, salary demands and declining defensive range will make the offseason decision much tougher than last year’s, when the team exercised a one-year, $12 million option after he hit 38 home runs.
“I think for him, playing would probably make some decisions a little easier than others,” Manuel said. “I think [the need for power] depends a lot on the makeup of the rest of the team, if you have excess in another area, say speed. Then that balances that out. If we gear in that direction, it has to be excess if we don’t have any power to balance the team out.”
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Carlos Beltran went 1-for-4 with a run scored and made a beautiful running catch in his second game back from a knee injury, but he will not play tonight.
“It’s almost like spring training,” Manuel said. “To play two Major League games back-to-back has got to be a little tough for him.”