Major League Baseball

Mets looking to bounce back after awful 2009

Published Apr. 2, 2010 1:53 a.m. ET

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Jose Reyes is starting the season on the disabled list. So are Carlos Beltran and Daniel Murphy.

The beginning of 2010 seems a lot like 2009 for the New York Mets.

``We've got something to prove,'' said right-hander John Maine, part of a questionable rotation beyond ace Johan Santana. ``We've got to get back to playing how we played the previous years, so we've got something to prove.''

After a miserable 2009 riddled with injuries and poor play, the Mets are hoping for a renaissance in their second season at Citi Field.

From the pitching staff to the lineup, there's a long list of players with solid resumes and injury-related motivation. The Mets used the disabled list 22 times last year for 19 players, including eight former All-Stars.

Reyes, New York's dynamic shortstop, missed much of last summer with an injured right leg. Center fielder Beltran played in just 81 games because of a bruised right knee, and is expected to miss the first month of this season following January knee surgery. Santana finished last season on the DL after an operation to remove bone chips from his left elbow.

The avalanche of injuries exposed a thin bench and underwhelming farm system, leading to a 70-92 record - New York's poorest record since it went 66-95 under Art Howe in 2003. The run of injuries continued into this year, too, with Beltran, Reyes (thyroid) and first baseman Murphy (sprained right knee) set to start the season as spectators.

After a myriad of physical problems, the Mets' ability to contend this year in the improved NL East could be a matter of just keeping their best players on the field.

``We know that if we're healthy we're going to win games,'' pitcher Mike Pelfrey said.

The length of the disabled list probably won't matter if Pelfrey, Maine and erratic left-hander Oliver Perez can't return to form.

Pelfrey slipped to 10-12 with a 5.03 ERA last year, acknowledging this spring that all the injuries played a part in him trying to do too much. Perez was hampered by a balky right knee and his usual wildness. Maine threw better when he returned after being frustrated by shoulder discomfort for much of the summer.

Those three must bounce back for the Mets to contend, and they looked shaky at times during spring training.

``As long as they are throwing strikes, and they are healthy, I think they will be OK,'' manager Jerry Manuel said.

New York has a similar problem in the bullpen, where the back end is set with All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez but getting to him could be an adventure. The eighth inning is of particular concern, and Manuel may have to let underrated lefty Pedro Feliciano face a few more batters than usual until he finds someone who can shoulder the load.

While there are several questions about the pitching staff, the Mets should have no problems scoring if the core of their lineup stays healthy. New left fielder Jason Bay, who signed a $66 million, four-year contract over the winter, had 119 RBIs for Boston last season, and David Wright drove the ball well this spring after hitting a career-low 10 homers in 2009.

The beleaguered farm system also showed signs of life while the Mets were training in Florida, providing some hope there may be more options if injuries are a problem again this year.

``I think we have more depth this year and better replacements,'' Manuel said. ``We've got some young players on the rise that we think can sustain us if we find ourselves in a situation like'' last year.

Anything resembling last season could cost Manuel his job, making a fast start imperative. The manager even shuffled his rotation for the start of the season to get better matchups and give Perez more time to prepare.

The whole thing didn't seem to matter much to his players, who just seem ready to put last season behind them once and for all.

``This is the start of a new year and another opportunity for us to go out there and prove that we are a good team,'' Wright said.

NOTES: The Mets moved the old Shea Stadium home run apple from behind the outfield in the lower deck to the plaza in front of the main home plate entrance at Citi Field and are adding baseball cards with the Mets' starting lineup at the top of the rotunda's escalators. ... In an attempt to alleviate crowding in the food areas behind center field, additional Blue Smoke, Box Frites and Big Apple Brews are opening in the upper deck behind home plate.

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AP freelance writer Laurel Pfahler in Port St. Lucie, Fla., contributed to this report.