Rey Ordonez returned to New York from Miami yesterday and had a new splint put on his fractured left wrist. The timetable for his return appears to be around the All-Star break.
With Ordonez remaining on the sidelines and Jason Tyner called up to play basically every day for the foreseeable future, it makes sense Melvin Mora could see more time at short than Kurt Abbott.
“That’s possible,” Met GM Steve Phillips said.
Phillips next added that he doesn’t make that decision, leaving it up to manager Bobby Valentine. Valentine’s been noncommittal.
Phillips said it’s unlikely the Mets would look outside the organization to replace Ordonez in the short term.
A front-line shortstop is going to be too costly and a backup-type is not going be better than what they have.
What they have so far is a combination that figures to hit better than Ordonez, but not field as well.
Mora entered last night’s game against the Orioles at .257 with two homers. He can play basically everywhere – even catcher. Growing up, though, he played a lot of shortstop and says that he feels comfortable there.
“He’s adequate at shortstop, he’ll make the plays,” Phillips said.
Mora’s confidence is more than adequate at short. During the spring, Valentine used Mora mostly in the infield to prepare him for such a situation.
“I’m pretty quick,” Mora said. “Rey is incredible. I think any play he can make, I can make too.”
Mora’s versatility can’t be held against him. The fact that he is knows a lot of trades doesn’t mean he is not the master of any, does it?
“If [Rey] goes to the outfield, he’s not going to recognize as quickly,” Mora said.
Mora is also aided by the fact that he played in Venezuela with second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo from 1991 to 1997.
“He’s doing a good job,” Alfonzo said. “He’s quick.”
Mora added, “I play comfortable when [Alfonzo] plays because I know how he plays more than anyone in the lineup,” Mora said.
As far as his bat is concerned, Mora said, he feels much better now than he did before he went on the disabled list with a lacerated right index finger.
Spending an eight-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk helped him get right. Mora was activated on May 30 after hitting .333 (9-for-27) on his rehab. Since his return, he’s raised his average by going 6-of-19.
As for Abbott, he hasn’t felt right at the plate all season. Abbott is coming off of a season in Colorado in which he hit .273. Entering last night, Abbott was at .181 in 72 at-bats.
“I think he is a better hitter than what he hit’s hit so far,” Phillips said.
It made sense to think Abbott would fill in more for Ordonez – until Abbott’s recent troubles. The Mets have longed for Abbott for a few years, seemingly for insurance in a case like the current one.
In his first game replacing Ordonez, Abbott came through by walking three times and helping the Mets comeback to beat the Dodgers last week. The next day, Abbott knocked a homer to help spark a comeback to make it 3-2. The Mets tied the game at three before eventually losing.
But since then Abbott’s been unable to get a hit. He was 0-for-7 starting two of the Mets’ four games. Mora got the other two starts and began last night’s game.
“To describe the way I feel at the plate is kind of evident, self explanatory – not too good,” Abbott said. “I’m not really swinging at bad pitches. My swing just hasn’t been there.
“It’s embarrassing to a point. Well, not really, but to a point. The people around here know I can hit, but I’m not hitting.”