Wang Back in Rotation; Setback for Reyes

Interesting news coming from both the Yankees and Mets this afternoon.

For the Yankees, Chien Ming Wang is back in the rotation and will start tomorrow's game against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium. To compensate, Phil Hughes will take Wang's spot in the bullpen. Obviously, Hughes has to be disappointed. While he hasn't pitched amazing since joining the rotation (3-2, 5.45 ERA), he has shown flashes of great pitching. However, Wang has given up just 2 runs in 8 innings of relief, and it appears he has regained the velocity and sink on his pitches he was lacking earlier in the season.

I think the only way the Yanks will know whether or not Wang has his stuff back is if he starts again. He'll only throw 75-to-80 pitches, as per Joe Girardi, to build up some arm strength, so he won't give you much length. Give him a couple starts and see if he can pitch well again. Hughes could be as big of an asset in the bullpen as Alfredo Aceves has been lately. He can go multiple innings, and is much more valuable and reliable than Jose Veras or David Robertson.

As for the Mets, Jose Reyes was removed from an extended spring training game today after experiencing pain in his calf and will return to New York for further tests. This is terrible news for the Mets, as Reyes was on target for a possible return Friday. Now, the team will have to see just how severe the injury is and keep him out longer. The Mets are even thinner at short with Ramon Martinez likely going on the DL, but at least they have Alex Cora back, who will be starting and hitting lead-off tonight against the Pirates.

For the Mets, they need some good news about injuries, and need some fast. I guess you can consider Carlos Beltran returning to the line-up tonight a plus, after being out since Sunday with a stomach virus. However, will he be on his game? Cora's return is good too, but they still are losing players left and right. Pagan on Sunday, Martinez yesterday, it's just too much. The team has some depth, but not enough that will allow them to compete all season long.

I'll be back later to live-blog during the Yankee game once again. I will try and do a Mets live-blog soon. I've just been focusing a lot on the Yankees at work. Catch you all in a bit!

Recapping a Day at Citi

Hey all. Spent today at Citi Field with my internship. Got the opportunity to sit in the press box for the whole game then go down to the clubhouse afterward. It was a pretty cool experience. The game was a stinker for the Mets, who lost 7-3 to the Marlins. However, they did have Tim Redding start as well as a AAA line-up (minus Carlos Beltran, who left with a Stomach Virus). Here are some thoughts from my experience:

*The press box at Citi Field is much bigger, cleaner, nicer, and media-friendly. There is more than enough space for the media, even in NY, and enough game notes, media guides, and other info. for everyone. I had a front row seat and had a tremendous view of the field. Windows open to get a sense of the crowd, and there are even people in the seats right in front of the press box who were friendly and greeted you. Nice to see this change.

*The Mets clubhouse is gorgeous. I liked the old one, and even thought it was a little roomier over at Shea. However, the lockers were very big, and there was plenty of space for the players.

*This was my second trip to Citi Field, and I really do like this ballpark. Today, the place was packed and had a good, energetic crowd with a lot of families in attendance. The sightlines are great, the scoreboards are easy to see and informative, the food is delicious, and there is a good variety, and it's just a great place to go watch a ballgame.

*My thoughts on the teams themselves: The Mets are very banged up and won't last all season if they keep getting injured. Everyone from Delgado to Reyes to Beltran all have some sort of ailment. However, they do have fight in them and won't go down easy it seems. The Marlins need pitching to be consistent, but they have the tools to begin being successful. The middle of their line-up is very strong (Hanley Ramirez, Jeremy Hermida, Jorge Cantu, and Dan Uggla). A few more additions to solidify their rotation would make them a playoff contender.

I'll be back to live-blog during the Yankee game again tonight. Probably won't have updates every half-inning, but will chip in with thoughts throughout.