The MRI exam performed on Billy Wagner yesterday showed the inflammation in his left elbow got worse instead of better, leaving the Mets’ closer concerns even more grave. Neither the team nor Wagner will rule out the possibility of there being structural damage under the swelling or that he could miss the rest of the 2008 season.
“It’s a dangerous area. It’s in the elbow, in the tendon,” GM Omar Minaya said before last night’s 7-3 win over Atlanta. “We didn’t expect to have more swelling; you expected to have less. The fact that you have more, that’s a concern.”
A serious one for an already shady bullpen considered the NL East leaders’ Achilles Heel. Wagner said he expects to return this year, and hadn’t been told otherwise by the doctors at the Hospital for Special Surgery; but it’s ominous that they couldn’t guarantee he’d be back.
“If they’d said my elbow was fine, we wouldn’t be having this press conference,” said Wagner, 37, who attributed the setback to trying to come back too quickly. “No, they didn’t say anything. They just said wear-and-tear of doing this 15 years, there’s a possibility (of a tear).
“I want to compete. There’s only so much time in a career, and I want to get out there, help my teammates. We’re in a great situation, leading our division. We’ve got a great chance to go to the playoffs; you want to be part of that. I’m very frustrated. There’s not much to do.”
Not much except wait for the swelling to subside; a cortisone shot would mask the problem and increase the risk of blowing out his elbow. The Mets are bereft of his 385 saves, struggling to piecemeal saves an out at a time.
“Who’s my closer? Depends on how we match up. Chipper Jones bats 10-for-15 against everybody in the bullpen, so I’m going to be flipping coins out there,” said Jerry Manuel. “I’m considering everybody from the Gulf Coast League to Triple-A. Can any of y’all throw?”
Gallows humor aside, the bullpen’s 4.39 ERA and 21 blown saves were both fourth-worst in baseball and next-to-last in the NL. And that was with Wagner, whom they may or may not get back.
“I don’t know. I don’t have any idea what’s going on there. We assume we will,” said Manuel, who ruled out starters John Maine (needs too much recovery), Oliver Perez (too hot) or Mike Pelfrey (too young). “I’d have to say we’ll have to do with what we have.”
Gamesmanship or not, Minaya hedged against dealing for one of the flawed closers that’d cleared waivers.
“The reality is true proven guys are not going to get through (waivers),” Minaya said. “I believe you’ve got guys in that room who’re going to step up. The best answer’s in that room.”
The most likely answer is Aaron Heilman, who said “we need to go out and pick him up,” then did that with a scoreless eighth inning. After surrendering eight runs in his first three August outings, he’s scoreless in six of his last seven.
“These guys are great. There’s not one I’d trade to get somebody else,” Wagner said. “I’m not as good as half those guys. The only reason you mention me is because I’ve got a closer title; and the only reason I’m a closer is because I (stunk) as a starter.”