PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado will be sidelined for a couple of days with a sore right hip.
The slugger left spring training camp and returned to New York for an MRI, which was negative. He has an impingement in his hip and was returning to Port St. Lucie on Saturday night, the Mets said.
General manager Omar Minaya called the MRI precautionary. Delgado was bothered by his hip after Friday’s 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“We said, ‘Why don’t we just get him to New York and get him checked out?”’ Minaya said Saturday.
Delgado missed time last season with a strained hip flexor, but the injury does not appear related, Minaya said.
“I just don’t expect it to be extended,” he said.
Delgado struggled last season with a .258 average. He still provides considerably more pop than his potential backups. He hit 24 home runs and had 87 RBIs last season.
“He’s very important for us,” manager Willie Randolph said after New York beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 for its first victory this spring. “He’s a big part of our offense and he needs to obviously bounce back from an off year.”
If Delgado can’t play for an extended time, the Mets could turn to Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson or Olmedo Saenz. Jose Valentin was asked to bring a first base glove to camp. Minaya said the team has not looked outside the organization to fill a potential void.
“I have no problem, Valentin can do it. Olmedo Saenz can do it if we have to go into those type of situations,” Minaya said.
Michel Abreu is the lone prospect in camp that could contend for the spot. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound first baseman missed all of last season because of a visa issue.
“We’re going to find out about him,” Minaya said. “This spring we’re going to give him an opportunity. Right now, he’s slotted to go to Triple-A.”
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