There seems to be a disagreement between Billy Wagner and GM Omar Minaya about why the rehabbing closer isn’t in Mets camp.
Wagner, who is recovering from Sept. 10 Tommy John surgery, told The Post last week that he’s not attending spring training in Port St. Lucie because the team “told me not to come.”
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But Minaya insisted that wasn’t the case. The GM characterized Wagner’s absence as “a mutual call,” saying, “He had the option and he told me he’d rather stay at home.
“He was not told not to come,” Minaya said.
Neither Wagner nor Minaya is upset about the situation Wagner doesn’t particularly wish or need to be in spring training, and Minaya certainly didn’t sound bothered that Wagner isn’t in camp. Still, it’s part of Wagner’s strange rehab situation.
Consider that Wagner is rehabbing by throwing albeit not off a mound with the pitching coach for the University of Virginia. And though Mets rehab trainer Chris Correnti prescribes the rehab plan, Wagner is on his own as far as carrying it out.
Minaya said he does not think Wagner is away from the team’s supervision.
“He’s not unsupervised,” Minaya said. “He’s been in contact with our trainer.”
Wagner doesn’t sound as if he craves more supervision. He pointed out that he’s 37 and knows how to prepare. And assistant GM John Ricco said the team trusts Wagner to handle the responsibility.
Wagner said he had known for months he wasn’t going to spring training.
“They said last year and then they said a couple times at the beginning of the year, ‘Don’t worry about coming to spring training,’ ” Wagner said. “There’s nothing I can do down there that I couldn’t do here.
“It’d be just a bigger waste of time being down there,” he added.
Wagner said he hopes to be back pitching in August. He’s been throwing up to 100 feet and claimed to be at least a month ahead of schedule.
“They just made me take two weeks off because I was so far ahead,” Wagner said. “They wanted to let time catch up with me.”
Wagner plans to head to Florida in June for what he’s told will be his spring training.