The Mets placed Frank Francisco on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, a tough blow to a beleaguered bullpen that will cost them their closer for at least two weeks.
Francisco has a strained left oblique, placing the Mets’ closer situation in limbo. While Francisco said he felt better yesterday, the Mets clearly felt as if he would not be ready to pitch soon enough.
“The doctors felt it was something that could certainly be aggravated very easily,” manager Terry Collins said. He added Francisco did not think he would necessarily be ready to pitch in the immediate future.
Now Francisco is out until at least July 8. The revelation caps a crazy weekend for him, one that began with him making controversial comments about the Yankees in which he called them “chickens,” resulting in a front-page story by The Post.
Francisco saved Friday’s game against the Yankees but felt soreness in his left side afterwards. He was unavailable for Saturday’s game, although the Mets did not have a save situation so his absence wasn’t felt.
Francisco then had an MRI yesterday, after which he said, “I feel fine. Just got to wait for the results.”
The Mets went into yesterday with easily the worst bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.30 (the next-closest was the Marlins at 4.78). So Francisco’s loss is a sizeable problem, considering he’s not only the Mets’ closer but their best right-handed reliever. As manager Terry Collins said yesterday, the bullpen’s design is for the relievers to hand the ball to Francisco late in the game. Not only will Francisco’s absence cost the Mets a reliever who ranked fourth in the NL with 18 saves going into yesterday, but the Mets also have no natural replacement.
When Mariano Rivera tore his ACL earlier this season, the Yankees had two strong options to replace him as closer — All-Star eighth-inning man David Robertson or former Rays closer Rafael Soriano. The Mets, however, will have to turn to Bobby Parnell, who Collins said would have likely gotten the nod if there were a save situation last night in the Yankees’ 6-5 victory.
The 27-year-old Parnell has not had a save opportunity this season. He has seven saves in his career, but last September the hard-throwing Parnell had seven save chances and blew four of them. He has a 3.19 ERA in 36 games this year, racking up 31 strikeouts in 31 innings, including a scoreless inning last night. Asked late Saturday night about closing, Parnell downplayed it, saying, “Just another inning.”
“He’s been throwing very, very well,” Collins said yesterday. “The velocity’s begun to come up, still with good command of it.”
Besides Francisco, the only Mets relievers who have saves this season are Ramon Ramirez and Jon Rauch, who have one apiece. Neither has had an impressive season.
Yesterday Francisco — who spoke before he was placed on the disabled list — said that he was feeling better.
“Yeah, I can walk straight,” he said.
The gregarious pitcher did not sound too concerned about the injury’s severity, although that doesn’t mean it’s not serious. Francisco instead took an it’s-out-of-my-hands view.
“Even if it’s a big thing, nothing you can do about it,” he said.
As for the rest of the bullpen, Ramirez was activated from the DL last night after being out all month with a strained right hamstring. But prized righty Jenrry Mejia, who is one week in to a two-week plan to convert him to relief at Triple-A, may not be ready in a week to help. Collins said yesterday that Mejia’s command is an issue.
“[Triple-A manager] Wally [Backman] said he’s still got a ways to go,” Collins said.
If Francisco returns on his first eligible day back on July 8, he would have four games before the All-Star break. He will miss not only the end of the Yankees series last night but also series against the Cubs, Dodgers and Phillies.