NL East

According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran hopes to start running in a week. If this is true, that would mean the Mets are anywhere from five to seven weeks away from their center fielder returning.

Although this certainly could be wishful thinking, since the news is coming from Heyman we know that the source is likely Beltran’s agent Scott Boras. So this should be pretty close to first hand information. Boras has a shady reputation, but there is no real reason to lie or mislead in this instance.

I have no problem proclaiming to the world that I’m a huge nerd, so it’s no surprise that I really like infographics. 

For those of you unfamiliar with what an infographic (or information graphic) is, according to Wikipedia it is a “visual representation of information, data or knowledge.”  Also known as interesting info portrayed in a cool way.

While the Mets are celebrating their ascension back into relevance with their eight-game winning streak and Phillies are floundering without their anchor, Jimmy Rollins, the Nationals are on a high of their own.

The Phils were desperate for one of two things before they left San Francisco: a win or a day off. They got both—just in time to settle down for a nine inning nap.

After last night’s 9-1 slaughter by the Mets, Charlie took the podium. Usually he recites the team stats, but last night he shifted his hat with a nervous smile and said, “Hey, does anyone have the phone number for Pedro Martinez?”

Daniel Murphy has been out for the entire season so far with a sprained right knee, but he is getting closer to returning to Flushing as he is currently down in Port St. Lucie hitting in the batting cages, according to Andy Martino of the NY Daily News .

A week-and-a-half ago, nobody thought that the Mets would be the team in first place when they went up against the Phillies this weekend, but it’s true. The Mets have been winning at a better pace than the Phillies lately despite the fact that it is the Phils who are generally regarded to have the better lineup and rotation.

So what chance do the Mets have of coming out of this series maintaining possession of first place?

Bill Ladson reported on twitter that Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will be back in the lineup tonight as the club embarks on a three game series in Miami. Ladson also indicated that the weather has played a factor in the decision:

After a day off on Thursday, the Washington Nationals (12-10) will continue their road trip with three games against the Florida Marlins (11-11). The Nationals are coming off an extremely competitive three-game series with the Chicago Cubs in which they took the last two after dropping the opener.

At the end of Spring Training, Carlos Beltran said that he wanted to begin running exercises in Port St. Lucie, Florida on April 10 and rejoin the Mets by at least early May, but three weeks after Beltran’s self-imposed deadline, he is still not close to returning to the lineup.

According to the New York Daily News, Beltran was fitted for a custom knee brace last week, which he hoped would help accelerate his rehabilitation.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel moved Jose Reyes from his typical leadoff spot into the no. 3 hole in the lineup six games ago, and since then the Mets have not lost a game going a perfect 6-0.

How much of that is due to Reyes? Well here are some of his numbers: 6 G, 22 AB, 7 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO, 2 SB, .273 BA, .333 OBP, .409 SLG, .742 OPS.