PORT ST. LUCIE – Willie Randolph said yesterday Orlando Hernandez may not throw until potentially Tuesday.
El Duque, who is suffering from neck arthritis and received a cortisone shot on Thursday, had said on Friday that he was slated to throw tomorrow. Yesterday Randolph said the team would “just let him calm down for a couple days and hopefully have him . . . tossing by Tuesday maybe.”
Added Randolph, “When you’re off four or five days, all you want to do is toss.”
Randolph said the 41-year-old righthander “felt real good” yesterday and said that “if he can get back on the mound early next week then he should be right on time to do as much work as he needs to be ready for the start of the season.”
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Tomorrow and Tuesday the Mets are slated to play intrasquad games. Among the pitchers on the schedule for tomorrow are Ambiorix Burgos, Pedro Feliciano, Jorge Sosa, Joe Smith and Jason Vargas. Among the pitchers for Tuesday are John Maine, Philip Humber, Scott Schoeneweis and Kevin Mulvey.
Randolph said that he was excited to watch Mulvey, the team’s top draft pick last year, pitch.
Oliver Perez opens up the exhibition games on Wednesday against the Tigers, with Alay Soler, Billy Wagner, Aaron Heilman, Jon Adkins and Smith also slated to pitch. Tom Glavine, Sosa, Feliciano, Burgos and Steve Schmoll will go on Thursday, with Chan Ho Park, Aaron Sele and Schoeneweis on Friday.
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Randolph spoke about Damion Easley and David Newhan, and by doing so, provided the impression that Newhan is a strong favorite to make the team.
“Their value is really all over the place,” Randolph said. “Newhan can play the outfield, and I probably won’t use Easley so much in the outfield because I’ve got [Endy Chavez] and other people. But Easley plays all over the infield. He can play some first for me, second, short and third. Newhan can play third, second, and a little outfield.”
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During live batting practice, David Wright bunted. Asked about it, Wright joked, “My new weapon.”