Mets Are Aware Escobar's Not 100%

According to Mike Puma in his Mets Blog for the New York Post, here, Puma clarifies the Escobar injury rumor.  After a report two days ago that Escobar was sore expanded yesterday to include he couldn't pick up a ball, Johan Santana came out and said he threw with Escobar over the past few days.  This was met with criticism, especially by myself, because that really didn't mean anything.  Just because Escobar threw over this past week doesn't mean he's not hurting today.  Regardless, it seems as though the Escobar injury rumors are slightly overblown and that he is just generally sore, and "not 100%". 

In the post, Puma makes an interesting statement when he says that, "Kelvim Escobar's shoulder isn't 100 percent, but this doesn't come as news to the Mets."  It's nice to know that the Mets don't have unrealistic expectations for a guy coming off surgery, but at the same time that they are still willing to say he's in the mix for the eighth inning job is a bit confusing.  I think this is an example of the media blowing the idea of him as a front-runner in that competition a little bit out of hand.  And it seems like that's why fans are so concerned with Escobar's potential soreness, because they have been told he could be the set-up man.

In the post, Omar is quoted as saying, "The plan all along has been we're not going to rush Escobar."  In general it seems like the Mets have a good grasp of what to expect from Escobar this spring, and are doing what they can to put him, and the team, in the best situation to succeed.