After trying to have Luis Castillo play on one foot — and then practically no feet — the Mets finally opted to put the ailing second baseman on the 15-day disabled list yesterday and called up Ruben Tejada from Triple-A Buffalo.
It was one of several changes the Mets figure to make to their roster in the next few days.
Tejada will move from his natural shortstop position, and manager Jerry Manuel plans to make him the everyday second baseman in Castillo’s absence.
“I aim to play him the bulk of the time to see if he’s capable of handling it,” Manuel said of Tejada. “He came up the last time and we tried to spot him here and there.”
That won’t be the case this time, as long as Castillo is out.
Tejada got off to a good start last night, doubling in his first at-bat and later scoring the Mets’ first run.
Tejada finished 1-for-4 in the Mets’ 4-3 victory and was solid at second.
Both Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya were confident that Castillo, who has battled a bruised left foot and a sore right foot, would be fully recovered after his stint on the disabled list.
Castillo underwent tests on Thursday that showed no further damage to either foot.
“There’s nothing different other than the fact that the rest he probably needed is more than what we’re giving him,” Manuel said. “I think [the DL] will take care of it. Even with a couple days off, he has shown progress and we definitely don’t want a setback.”
Angel Pagan will take Castillo’s spot as the No. 2 hitter in the lineup, something Manuel was confident about.
“I see it working out that way,” Manuel said. “Angel has proven that he can be an everyday player and a very versatile player. He’s a switch hitter with power and has enough speed to play in the top of the order.”