The crew of productive offensive players on the Mets missed you.

There are multiple stories in the NY papers today complaining about the Mets roster handling, (Newsday /NYD), but as far as Fernando Martinez is concerned, the timing is pretty good. The Mets had to call him up with Beltran and Church banged up, and now he’ll get the comfort of playing everyday to prove he belongs..

Martinez hit his way out of AAA with a scorching May. Sure, it would have been nice to keep him down there longer to let him keep learning, but who out there doesn’t think that he’s a bat than Jeremy Reed right now? Martinez, with his batspeed, won’t be overwhelmed by Major League fastballs.   He will need to learn to lay off good MLB breaking balls.  The beginning of the final stages of his development – the transition from prospect to big leaguer will happen if a little earlier than the Mets had hoped, in a situation where the lineup needs him to produce.

I thought Martinez looked a little jumpy in his first AB, chasing a fastball in on his hands, off the plate to strike out.  However, his response postgame was telling.  He knows he’ll get another chance tonight, as he told Tim Britton at MLB.com.

“I tried to prepare every day there, but really I want to stay here,” Martinez said. “Hopefully tomorrow I’ll play better.”

AAA – International League

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 2, @ Buffalo Bisons 1

Outside of Fernando Martinez’s debut, the next biggest story in the organization Tuesday night was Oliver Perez’s rehab appearance with the Buffalo Bisons. Perez needed 88 pitches to navigate through 4.1 innings.  He gave up one run on three hits and struck out five, but also walked five.  In the second inning, Perez loaded the bases with a double and two walks with one out.  After walking in a run, he fanned the next two batters.  His stuff, appeared lively, but his control was not where he will need it to be to be successful again in the bigs as just 54% of his pitches were strikes.

On his knee, Perez said that, “I feel fine.”  He denied that it impacted his delivery, but acknowledged, that “late in the game it was getting sore a little bit.”  He noted that how he feels Wednesday will be important.

photo courtesy Metsblog

A – South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends 4, @ Savannah Sand Gnats 1

Jeurys Familia (3-3, 2.05 – pictured) became the first Gnats starter to work into the eighth inning, but did so in a losing effort.  In seven innings, Familia gave up four runs on six hits and a walk and struck out three.

C Jean Luc Blaquiere led the way for the offense by going 2-4.

St. Lucie didn’t get to play the Brevard County Manatees, one of my favorite nicknames in minor league baseball.

The B-Mets and the Connecticut Defenders were also washed out.

The Mets placed SS Jose Reyes and OF Ryan Church on the DL Tuesday, selected the contract of Fernando Martinez from Buffalo, and acquired INF Wilson Valdez from the Indians for cash.

Martinez who is batting sixth and playing RF will join a select group of big leaguers who have debuted at age 20.

AAA:  Lehigh Valley IronPigs (16-27) @ Buffalo Bisons  (13-29)

LHP Oliver Perez (NR) vs. RHP Drew Carpenter (1-0, 4.02)

Oliver Perez begins his rehab in Buffalo tonight.  Here we go….

Listen Live | Watch Live | Scoreboard

IronPigs Roster | Bisons Roster

AA: Connecticut Defenders (25-19) @ Binghamton Mets (19-23)  – 6:35 PM

LHP Mike Antonini (4-1, 4.88) vs. RHP Tim Alderson (2-0, 1.93)

Antonini returns from AAA where he was 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in 7.1 innings in which he gave up 10 runs and 16 hits in 7.1 IP.  Alderson has been studly for the Giants’ affiliate.

Listen Here | Scoreboard

B-Mets Roster | Defenders Roster

A+: St. Lucie Mets (20-20) @ Brevard County Manatees (27-11) @  7:05 PM

RHP Jenrry Mejia (3-1, 1.82) vs. RHP Amaury Rivas (4-2, 3.09)

Mejia has been awesome in May, going 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA.  In 21 IP, he allowed just 11 hits, one earned run, strucko out 14 and walked three while putting up a gb/fb ratio of two.

Scoreboard | Listen

St. Lucie Roster | Manatees Roster

Lexinton Legends (22-22) @ Savannah Sand Gnats (23-20) – 7 PM

RHP Ross Seaton (4-4, 3.00) vs. RHP Jeurys Familia (3-2, 1.52)

Scoreboard | Listen

Legends Roster | Gnats Roster