Mighty Mets Keep Grinding

Yes I'm an optimist about this team, and not because they beat the Orioles last night.

The optimism comes from the fact that the Mets are once again 3 games out of first place.

They are keeping pace during the hardest part of this year's schedule while the injured players heal.

Good news from friend of NY Sports Dog Adam Rubin: Maine and Ollie tracking to return quickly.

Adam writes:

Oliver Perez and John Maine will oppose each other in a makeshift game in Port St. Lucie tomorrow involving extended spring training players, pitching coach Dan Warthen told the Daily News. Afterward, Maine should be ready to re-enter the Mets rotation, while Perez would advance to an official minor-league rehab start, indicating a return within two weeks is possible.

"Right now is the best he's felt for a long time," Warthen said about Perez, who aborted his last comeback attempt after right knee discomfort flared up following a May 26 start for Triple-A Buffalo.

Maine, on the DL with discomfort in the back of his right shoulder, threw pain-free yesterday in Port St. Lucie, according to Warthen. The righthander is not eligible to be activated from the DL until Monday, so Fernando Nieve will need to make one more start, Friday against the Rays at Citi Field.

Good news indeed.

Speaking of the schedule--if the Mets can keep pace for the next few weeks, they catch a pretty nice stretch of games after the All-Star break.

Atlanta, Washington, Houston, Colorado.

OK, I think it's time to go let Fernando be a minor leaguer again when the Baltimore series ends.

The Mets simply have better outfield options right now--namely Jeremy Reed. It's a small sample size, but did you know Reed is 4 for 4 against lefty's this year? FMart is 3 for 17, all singles.

Fernando Tatis also needs to play over Daniel Murphy.

Tatis has a .394 OBP in 27 June at-bats. Murphy has a .289 OBP in 31 June at-bats.

In January I wrote a piece on how Murphy and Tatis should be platooned. Jerry Manuel has used them exactly the opposite, and it's hurt both players.

The numbers simply don't lie. Jerry is not a numbers guy.

Speaking of numbers, how about Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano?

Both players continue to impress in their roles.

Tonight Tim Redding climbs back on the hill and hopes to build on two impressive starts in a row.

He shaved 3 runs off his ERA in those starts and faces a Baltimore team that is floundering right now.

Just keep grinding Mets....keep grinding.