Castillo
At least, that's the company line.
Castillo has been out since entering the game as part of a double-switch July 2 against St. Louis. He played his last rehab game for Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday night and worked out for coaches on Friday, with the expectation that he'd be activated on Saturday.
Manager Jerry Manuel said the two met before the Mets' 8-3 loss to the Houston Astros and the three-time All-Star apparently volunteered to remain out of the lineup for a few days, partly to rest his hip and partly because the Mets have been playing awfully well without him.
New York has surged to the top of the NL East in Castillo's absence, with 38-year-old Damion Easley and rookie Argenis Reyes playing well in his place. The Mets are 1½ games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the division.
"We had a conversation. We brought him in and he felt if he was given a few more days he'd be much better prepared," Manuel said. "He felt the team was playing well without him and it would allow him to get things together, which I think is admirable."
When pressed later whether the decision was his own, Castillo said, "The team is playing well and I'll take a couple days. Whatever the decision we made, that's what it is."
The 32-year-old Castillo is in the first year of a $25 million, four-year contract and has had trouble recovering from arthroscopic surgery on both knees in the offseason.
Castillo's appeared in only 68 games for the Mets this season, batting .261 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. He hit just .139 during his 13-game rehab stint.
Manuel acknowledged the bizarre nature of a player effectively taking himself out of the lineup, then spent a few moments trying to recall if it had ever happened to him.
"No, they all had these egos where they think they can do anything," Manuel said. "This was a little different situation where the team was playing extremely well."
Manuel said the club won't announce a roster move until Castillo is activated in "a couple days." He said Friday that the decision would be a difficult one, and that it wouldn't necessarily be "infielder for infielder."
Should the Mets be leaning toward cutting a pitcher, making the move Saturday would have been risky with John Maine on the mound. Maine made his third start Saturday since coming off the DL with a mild strain to his right rotator cuff, allowing eight runs over five-plus innings, and a long reliever might be needed if he struggles.
Until a move is made, Castillo will continue to take batting practice and will accompany the team on its upcoming trip beginning Tuesday at Philadelphia.
"That's what it is now," Castillo said quietly, "a couple days."
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