Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

John Maine, on the disabled list with a bone spur in his right shoulder, expects to resume throwing Monday but manager Jerry Manuel does not expect him to return before the regular season ends, the NY Newsday reports. With Maine scheduled to throw Monday, it raises the possibility that he could pitch in relief (there isn’t time for him to build up enough strength to start a game). Manuel said that it’s possible that Maine will be ready for the playoffs, but he is not anticipating that he will. (Rotowire)

Doctors have told John Maine (shoulder) to wait another week before picking up a baseball. Maine hoped to start throwing today. Since that won’t happen, it looks like he won’t be a factor for the rest of the regular season. Maybe the Mets could try him as a reliever at the very end of September and then potentially in the postseason. (Rotoworld)

John Maine (shoulder) will play catch Sunday for the first time since he was shut down on August 24. The Mets are hoping Maine will be able to return later this month as a reliever. “He’s done absolutely nothing baseball (related),” manager Jerry Manuel said, “so he’s probably still a ways away.” (Rotoworld)

FAAB Acquisitions:

• P Luis Ayala, Mets [$0, add to actives]
• C Pablo Sandoval, Giants [$0, add to actives]

Up:

• OF Shane Victorino (to Utility)
• OF Brandon Moss
• P Jason Marquis

Down:

• 3B Casey Blake (from Utility)
• OF Lastings Milledge
• P John Maine (15-Day DL)
• P Mike Gonzalez
• C Chris Coste

Cut:

• P Charlie Morton
• P Carlos Villanueva

The Mets put SP John Maine on the 15-day disabled list because of a bone spur in his right shoulder Monday, hoping a couple more weeks of rest can enable him to pitch for the final two months of September. “It’s frustrating because I want to be here and help the team, but for me not being 100 percent to go out there it’s not just hurting the team, it’s me not being 100 percent,” Maine said. “I was told nothing could make it worse which is why I wanted to pitch through it. It just hasn’t gone away.” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said surgery is the only way to fix the problem but even though it is a minor operation, Maine would not have enough time to recover to pitch again this season. Instead, Maine will not throw for two weeks and hold off from any exercise for a week. He’s probably worth stashing in NL-only leagues still, but you can’t count on him to pitch well enough for mixed leagues even if he does return. (CBS Sports)

Jerry Manuel said the Mets might shut down John Maine for the rest of the season if he doesn’t look strong during a throwing session next week. Maine has a bone spur in his shoulder, but said after Saturday’s start that he planned on pitching through the pain. Maine was so determined to make Saturday’s start against the Astros that he received a cortisone shot in the back of his shoulder Thursday, then didn’t pick up a baseball again until the day of the game. It showed in his lack of control and the Mets are seriously considering shutting him down, the NY Newsday reports. Maine said that the cortisone shot did little to ease the pain caused by the bone spur behind his right shoulder and rotator-cuff strain, which has him running on fumes. He added that a second shot was not possible at this time, leaving him few available options, other than Aleve or Advil, to deal with the pain. (Rotowire)

Management should make the call by Wednesday. Maine admitted after Saturday night’s game that he’ll need offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. There has been speculation for some time now that there was something physically wrong with Maine. Turns out it’s a painful bone spur in his throwing shoulder. He let up a season-high eight earned runs on Saturday but will continue to pitch through the pain this season. Manuel and pitching coach Dan Warthen have contingency plans in place in case Maine’s condition worsens. “I’m comfortable with anybody who wants to gut it out,” Manuel said. “But if that isn’t enough for us to win, then I have to make a decision about that.” Maine was approached Sunday about the idea of shutting it down the rest of the season, but told Manuel and Warthen he wants to pitch. “We’ll see how it is in a couple of days,” Maine said. “They asked. I told them, but I have to do what they say.” (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Update: Just a few hours after this was posted, the Mets placed Maine on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 24, with a bone spur in his right shoulder.  Surgery would take care of Maine’s problem, but it’d also end his season. He might be done even if he tries to rehab and put surgery off to the winter. Maybe he could try coming back as a reliever next month, but the shoulder is going to be a problem until he has the procedure. (Rotoworld)

John Maine was hammered by the Astros Saturday for eight runs in 5 2/3 innings. The ‘Stros racked up 10 hits on Maine and drew two walks. He struck out four, but let two balls leave the park while dropping to 10-8 on the year. His ERA took a big leap, from 3.82 to 4.18. He’ll try to redeem himself against the Marlins next time out. “Is John Maine 100 percent right now? No. Is he going to hurt himself? Probably not,” Manuel said. “Does he want to pitch? Yes. He wants to gut it out. I am comfortable with anybody that wants to gut it out. Period. But I do feel that if that is not enough for us to win, then I have to make some decisions about that.” (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

Maine, who matched a career high by allowing eight runs in the Mets’ 8-3 loss to the Astros Saturday, plans to gut out the rest of the season, but he looks likely to require surgery afterward, the NY Daily News’ Mets blog reports. Maine has a bone spur in the back of his right shoulder that’s irritating him and isn’t even throwing between starts. That inactivity is causing him to miss pitch locations, including by a foot based in Brian Schneider’s estimatation on a crushing three-run homer by Lance Berkman in the third inning. The surgical procedure shouldn’t be as ominous as it might sound as it probably would require shaving the bone so it doesn’t cause irritation. As of now, Maine will remain in the rotation, but if he continues to struggle the Mets may be forced to shut him down. (Rotowire)

The Mets have ruled out using John Maine as a closer. “He needs more rest, needs those days off more than he needs to be a bullpen guy right now,” manager Jerry Manuel told the N.Y. Post. Fine with Maine. “I’d prefer to be a starter, but if the team needed somebody down there, I’d do it to help the team,” Maine said. Maine has been running high pitch counts and not throwing harder than the high-80s in his past start. He is a serious injury risk at this point and far less intriguing in mixed leagues on a regular basis right now. (CBS Sports)

John Maine held the Pirates scoreless for five innings in a no-decision Monday afternoon. Maine also threw five shutout innings in his first start back from the disabled list last week. His velocity was down Monday and he walked four batters, but he’s now allowed zero runs on three hits in 10 innings since coming off the shelf. He exited holding a 2-0 lead, but the Mets’ bullpen coughed up five runs to let another game slip away. (Rotoworld) Maine said after his start Monday that he doesn’t have the pain he felt in Miami before going on the DL with a mildly strained rotator cuff, but he has felt stiffness in both starts since his return, the NY Daily News reports. Maine had no life on his fastball Monday, as his velocity was mainly in the 88-92 range, down 4-8 ticks from where he normally is. Pitching coach Dan Warthen said that Maine will likely be in that range the rest of the season and he maybe capped at five to six innings in most starts, unless his pitch count is very low. The Mets have four off-days from August 28 to September 12, so the Mets can try and alter the rotation to give Maine an extra days rest. After that, the team plays every day rest of the way, so don’t look for Maine to receive extra rest before those starts, meaning that he will need to rely on his other pitches and find a way to gut it out in each outing; not always a recipe for success. (Rotowire)

John Maine pitched five shutout innings Wednesday in his return from the disabled list. Maine let up just one hit and struck out six. He walked four, but worked easily out of jams. Maine was bolstered by a Met attack that gave him an early 10-0 lead and he was removed after throwing 90 pitches. Maine’s ERA fell from 4.13 to 3.97 and he’ll face the Pirates next. Maine reported some soreness in his right shoulder following his five-inning start Wednesday, probably a lingering effect from the rotator-cuff strain that landed him on the disabled list back on August 3, the NY Newsday reports. he soreness was not enough to prevent Maine from pitching, but there is no predicting how much of a factor that discomfort could become in the future. Maine will have a better read on the shoulder Friday, 48 hours after this start, as he prepares for his next one. Maine’s velocity was more in the 91-93 range than his usual 96 mph, and while he hopes that the velocity will return over time, there is no guarantee it will given the shoulder soreness. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)

John Maine (strained rotator cuff) is slated to be activated off the disabled list and start against Washington Wednesday, the NY News reports. To clear room for Maine, the Mets optioned Carlos Muniz to Triple-A New Orleans. Brian Stokes will work out of the bullpen, and may get an occasional start down the stretch to give extra rest to the five regular starters. Maine threw a 61-pitch simulated game Friday and has had no issues since then, paving the way for his activation. Maine is a nice two-start sleeper for Fantasy Week 21 (Aug. 18-24) at this point. Watch his return start before considering him, though. He had been struggling with high pitch counts, looking like a five-inning pitcher, which is real bad news on a team struggling mightily in the bullpen. Don’t worry too much about Maine becoming a reliever, though, because he has the potential to be one of the Mets true aces down the stretch. (Rotowire, CBS Sports)

Up:

• P John Maine
• P Joe Blanton
• 3B Chipper Jones
• OF Chase Headley

Down:

• OF Gregor Blanco
• OF Steve Pearce
• P Matt Lindstrom
• P Carlos Villanueva

Move:

• 3B Casey Blake to Utility
• U Jody Gerut to OF

John Maine (shoulder) threw a 61-pitch simulated game before Friday’s game. Maine showcased all of his pitches and declared himself ready for his scheduled start on Wednesday. Unfortunately, he has struggled recently, going less than five innings in four of the last six games. Still, against a weak team like the Nationals, you might want to go ahead and start him. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

The Mets were so encouraged by the bullpen sessions Maine (strained right rotator cuff) threw Sunday and Monday that he is slated to throw a simulated game Friday at Shea, the NY Daily News reports. This would keep Maine on schedule to pitch Wednesday at Washington and seemingly lessen the need to add another starting pitcher, such as the rehabbing Freddy Garcia. (Rotowire)

John Maine (shoulder) had a successful bullpen session Tuesday and is scheduled to throw a simulated game Friday. Barring a setback Maine is on track to return from the disabled list with a start next Wednesday versus the Nationals. (Rotoworld)