ST. LOUIS (AP) -Second baseman Luis Castillo was held out of the New York Mets’ lineup for the second straight game on Wednesday night, hampered by a quadriceps injury.
Castillo committed his sixth error on Monday, exceeding his total from last season, when a routine grounder went between his legs. Damion Easley got the start in New York’s 7-4 win Tuesday night and was back in the lineup for the third of a four-game series against the Cardinals.
After talking to Castillo, manager Jerry Manuel said he would consider using him in a part-time capacity until he feels better. Manuel said he doesn’t think a stint on the 15-day disabled list will be necessary.
Castillo, a three-time Gold Glove winner and All-Star, is in the first year of a $25 million, four-year free-agent deal. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in the offseason and missed part of spring training.
Manuel said Castillo’s problem is not that doesn’t want to play every day, recalling the player’s clubhouse energy in spring training.
“You can kind of sense that this thing bothers him as much as it bothers everybody else,” Manuel said. “That’s the athlete: They don’t want to embarrass themselves and they don’t want to embarrass the people that have put good faith in them.”
But Manuel added: “Sometimes you have to take a step back.”
Castillo played both ends of a split-stadium doubleheader on Friday against the Yankees, getting a second start after scoring a career-high five runs in the opener. In retrospect, Manuel said he should have not played Castillo in the second game given the circumstances surrounding the Subway Series, and Castillo got a day off Saturday instead.
“That was a tough deal for us,” Manuel said. “I should have been more cognizant of giving him a break here or there and not just running with what he says.”
Reliever Duaner Sanchez didn’t want any time off, a day after he took a line drive off the inside of his left knee in the eighth inning. Sanchez said the knee was “a little bit” sore.
“He claims he’s ready to pitch today,” Manuel said. “I’ll try to stay away from him if I can.”
The Mets hope to activate outfielder Moises Alou (strained left calf) on Monday, pushing back his return a few days because of poor weather. The plan calls for Alou to play a few games for Double-A Binghamton starting Friday before joining the major league team.
Manuel said the 13-man pitching staff likely would be reduced by one on Thursday before the Mets begin a four-game series at Philadelphia. Oliver Perez will be available for between-starts bullpen duty on Thursday and Tony Armas, who worked six innings in his season debut and got the victory on Tuesday, would be ready to contribute on Friday.
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