Ryota Igarashi is perhaps the lone beneficiary of Francisco Rodriguez’s arrest and subsequent placement on the restricted list.
Before the Mets’ 4-0 victory over the Rockies yesterday at Citi Field, the right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and will take Rodriguez’s spot on the roster while the closer is out, at least through tonight’s game.
“It’s good to be back,” Igarashi said through a translator after arriving at Citi Field in the sixth inning yesterday. “I realized when I went [to Buffalo] I had to develop another off-speed pitch, so I worked on my curveball.”
Igarashi last pitched for the Mets on July 4 and had been wildly inconsistent on his way to compiling a whopping 7.91 ERA in 22 appearances.
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The slumping David Wright was given the day off.
“I haven’t been swinging all that well,” said Wright, who is 0-for-11 over his last three games and batting just .196 (18-92) since the All-Star break. “It was good to take more than anything, a mental day.”
Mike Hessman filled in at third base and went 0-for-4, dropping his average to .136.
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Johan Santana refused to comment about a report that said his lawyers had offered the woman who is suing the lefty for sexual assault a settlement package, but that the alleged victim turned it down.
“I’m done with that,” Santana said after pitching a complete-game shutout. “I’m not commenting.”
Prosecutors in Florida earlier declined to press charges against Santana.
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Jon Niese, who complained of tightness in his problematic left hamstring after his start on Wednesday, said he felt better yesterday and intended to throw his normal bullpen session today. . . . Rod Barajas (on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique) began his rehab assignment yesterday, going 1-for-4 as a DH for the Gulf Coast League Mets.