MET NOTES
ST. LOUIS – Despite the obvious glaring need at the back of the rotation, the Mets so far have expressed no desire to recall their best prospect, right-hander Aaron Heilman.
On Thursday, Heilman made his sixth start for Triple-A Norfolk. The Notre Dame product went six innings against Indianapolis, allowing five hits and two earned runs. Heilman, 23, walked two and struck out one. He is 2-2 at Norfolk with an ERA of 2.52.
The Mets don’t plan to call him up even when rosters expand on Sept. 1 because of philosophical and financial reasons. He was their first-round pick in 2001, and they want to bring him along slowly.
The Mets figure it would be a mistake to bring him up for a cup of coffee because it would start his service time and then he could cash in at arbitration sooner.
Also, if Heilman was on a major-league roster in the event of a strike, he would not be able to pitch in the minors.
No. 4 starter Shawn Estes, a free agent after the season, managed just three innings yesterday in a game the Mets needed to win. New No. 5 starter John Thomson was bumped from the rotation this turn and is 7-9 with a 4.86 ERA. And deposed No. 5 starter Jeff D’Amico is 5-10 with a 5.30 ERA.
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Mike Piazza is playing despite a sore left wrist. Bobby Valentine thinks he injured it tagging Houston’s Richard Hidalgo at the plate during the last homestand. Piazza wants to continue playing. From the grind of playing 101 games, he probably has a laundry list of other nagging injuries that are no better than the wrist.
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Estes’ three-inning outing tied his lowest of the season. He also pitched three innings in Philadelphia on July 1.
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After the Cards’ Fernando Vina was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game – by reliever Steve Reed in the sixth – both teams were warned.
The Mets protested the call after Reed plunked Vina to put two runners on with nobody out. Both managers came out to argue after plate umpire Larry Vanover pointed to Reed and both dugouts.