First it was
Moises Alou's quad and knee, which
isn't quite healed yet. Then, it was Shawn Green fouling a ball off of his foot and breaking a small bone in his foot. Those are both of Carlos Beltran's flanks in the outfield, so who can blame him if he started to feel a little nervous for his own health, especially with his recent admission that he's played the last month with a little tendinitis (Beltran hit .234 in May after a .356 average in April).
Last night, Beltran was involved in a collision with Giants first baseman Rich Aurilia, and after testing his knee in the dugout unsuccessfully, Beltran left the game with a knee contusion, and is undergoing an MRI today in New York. Beltran admits that he's indeed a little nervous.
"If I feel good tomorrow, I will be there," he said after the Mets' 4-2 win last night, with "there" meaning the lineup. But he acknowledged that he was "scared" because he felt pain in the front and back of his knee after he crossed the base. Later, standing at his locker, he said the pain had gone away, especially in the back. The front felt sore, he said, adding that the knee felt weak.
Beltran, as
noted here before, had injury issues in '05, tried to play through them, and had a terrible season. If tendinitis is causing him to bat .234, and if the MRI shows anything close to a DL worthy injury, then maybe it's time to learn from what happened in 2005 and rest him for a couple of weeks. Sure, having an outfield with guys like Endy Chavez, David Newhan, Carlos Gomez, Ben Johnson, Damion Easley, and perhaps Jose Valentin who's currently on a rehab stint in the minors, is going to hurt for 7-14 days. But better to have no Beltran for two weeks in June than have a so-so Beltran for the whole year.
Previously on The Fanhouse:
The Injuries Mount for Moises Alou(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Around this time every spring, the hard roster cuts start coming. The cuts that come from the beginning of camp through the first three weeks or so of March are always easy and expected. The cuts that come in the last week are the tough ones and, inevitably, feelings get hurt. 
