PORT ST. LUCIE – John Maine wasn’t happy after throwing live batting practice for the first time in six months, but the Mets sure were.
The young right-hander had not faced hitters since undergoing surgery to shave down a large bone spur in his pitching shoulder last September.
Maine took an encouraging step forward yesterday by throwing 40 pitches in separate 20-pitch segments.
Maine liked how he felt physically after the session but wasn’t pleased with his mechanics, especially while throwing his change-up and the curveball he is dusting off for the first time in three years.
“It was weird to see a couple of hitters in there, so I felt a little anxious the first 20 pitches,” Maine said. “But I settled down the last 20 and threw a lot better.”
The Mets thought Maine was being too hard on himself.
“He’s his own worst critic,” pitching coach Dan Warthen said. “I liked what I saw.”
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New set-up man J.J. Putz caused a stir by dialing up his trademark fastball to the high 90 mph range in his first session against hitters this spring.
Manager Jerry Manuel said he could hear the pop on Putz’s fastball from several fields away yesterday morning.
“I heard the mitt way over on the other side and said, ‘Wow! Who is that?’ And they told me it was Putz,” Manuel said, smiling.
Outfield candidate Bobby Kielty, a seven-year big league veteran, could only shake his head after standing in against Putz.
“He throws it so hard that it disappears on you,” Kielty said. “He’s one of those guys that can strike you out on nothing but fastballs with no problem.”
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Relief candidate Tom Martin, an avid hunter, has amused teammates by bringing in the stuffed head of a giant wild boar he killed in Florida last year and putting it above his locker. Martin went hunting this week with teammate Tim Redding and killed another huge pig that supposedly will provide the meat for a team meal in the next few days.
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Manuel has a light day planned for the Mets this morning so they can rest up for intrasquad games scheduled for tomorrow and Tuesday in Port St. Lucie. Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee are scheduled to be the respective starting pitchers for the first intrasquad game.