Luis Castillo has been the Mets’ hottest hitter, so it only figures he could be headed to the disabled list.
Manager Jerry Manuel had no announcement on the second baseman’s status following last night’s 12-7 loss to the Cardinals in 10 innings, but didn’t sound optimistic about Castillo’s left ankle.
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Castillo was returning to the dugout following his seventh-inning at-bat, when he sprained the ankle while attempting to avoid stepping on a glove on the steps. X-rays taken were negative and Castillo did not remain to speak with reporters afterward.
“When [Castillo] was leaving, he was basically being carried up the stairs,” Manuel said. “Obviously, it has to be somewhat serious.”
That is not the kind of misstep the Mets needed, with Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado already on the disabled list and the team nine games behind Colorado in the wild-card race.
Castillo entered last night batting .377 (29-for-77) with 11 RBIs and 16 runs scored in his previous 23 games. Last night he had singled as part of the Mets’ four-run outburst in the fifth inning against Joel Pineiro.
Alex Cora moved from shortstop to second base as Castillo’s replacement, and Angel Berroa was inserted as the shortstop.
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Nelson Figueroa remained on the roster a day after lasting only 1 2/3 innings and surrendering six runs in a loss to the Diamondbacks. Figueroa, who threw only 53 pitches, was available in long relief if Johan Santana encountered early trouble. Santana lasted eight innings, giving the bullpen something of a breather.
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Though Jonathon Niese snapped the Mets’ five-game winning streak by losing to Colorado in the nightcap of last Thursday’s doubleheader, Manuel liked what he saw from the rookie lefty. Niese today gets the start — his fifth of the season and third since rejoining the Mets on July 25.
In his start against the Rockies on Thursday, Niese allowed four earned runs over 6 1/3 innings.
“He’s adjusted to the major leagues in the sense that he understands the use of his secondary pitches and how important they are to get over behind in the count, and he’s done that very well,” Manuel said.