Yesterday was not a great day for the Mets’ infield. In addition to Jose Reyes aggravating his recent hamstring injury, Daniel Murphy was spiked on his left leg on a slide into second base by Braves’ outfielder Jose Constanza.
While it’s not yet clear if Reyes will require another stint on the disabled list, the early word on Murphy isn’t good. According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Murphy will miss the rest of the season with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Surgery will not be necessary, but the injury will require a four-month recovery time.
Ironically, Murphy sprained the MCL in his right knee last June on a takeout slide while playing second base with Triple-A Buffalo. He missed the rest of the season, but was able to rehab the injury and play winter ball in the Dominican Republic.
Murphy entered this season without a clear role, but emerged as a key contributor as the Mets dealt with extended absences from David Wright and Ike Davis. The 26-year-old batted .320/.362/.448 with six homers, 49 RBI and an .809 OPS over 423 plate appearances. While he did his part offensively, he also made his fair share of mental errors in the field, doing little to squash the notion that he is a man without a position.
Terry Collins was so shorthanded yesterday that he was forced to use Wright at shortstop for the first time in his career, so the Mets are expected to recall Ruben Tejada from the minors in advance of tonight’s game against the Padres. They would likely add another infielder if Reyes needs to miss some time.