August 09, 2007

The Outfield Log Jam

Anthony Di Como at Mets.com writes about the Mets outfield and how it's going to be over crowded when Beltran returns:


When Carlos Beltran returns from the disabled list -- possibly as soon as this weekend, but more likely at the start of next week -- the Mets will have four full-time outfielders wedged into only three spots. Beltran will reclaim his regular duties in center field, leaving Shawn Green, Moises Alou and Lastings Milledge to battle for the two corner positions.

For Alou, the extra rest could be a blessing in disguise, as various injuries have left him playing regularly at less than 100 percent. With added days off, he could be fresher for the postseason.

For Green, the rest should be situational. While the naked eye might peg Green's season as below expectations, he's actually batting .302 with good power against right-handers. But against lefties, he's hitting only .192, with just 20 hits on the season.

Yet taking Milledge's bat out of the lineup may not prove so easy. On the one hand, he's only 22 years old, and playing every day at that age is rare. But on the other hand, he's been the only Mets outfielder to produce with any sort of consistency lately, batting .317 since his return from the Minors.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

green has to go

Anonymous said...

yes...put milledge inright field

Anonymous said...

let green walk awayand well be much better off