Omar Minaya said it’s highly unlikely Carlos Beltran will begin a minor-league rehab assignment this week.
“Right now, it’s getting better, but we’re not ready yet,” the Mets GM said.
Once Beltran begins his minor-league rehab assignment, the Mets will have 20 days to activate him. Minaya said Beltran, recovering from offseason knee surgery, will largely be responsible for setting the pace.
“There’s going to be a point where he says, ‘Hey, I’m ready to go,’ ” Minaya said. “We’re going to have to say, ‘OK, I think he’s going to be able to help this team.’ ”
Beltran had five plate appearances today in an extended spring training game. He played two innings in center field then was DH.
A club source indicated that Beltran is running with a limp, something he’ll have to play through.
Minaya told ESPN.com he has not asked Beltran if he would consider any action in right field.
“I have not brought that up to him,” Minaya said. “There’s progress. At what point in time does he get the leg strong to the point that he’s able to accelerate, explode — those are going to be the key things. Right now, it’s getting better, but we’re not there yet.”
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Jerry Manuel said John Maine will make either one or two more minor-league rehab appearances, dependant upon how many pitches the right-hander throws Friday.
The manager said Maine’s velocity was in the 87-89 mph range pitching for Double-A Binghamton on Sunday.
Manuel said he’s unsure if Maine would be suited for the bullpen upon his return.
“The issue of warming up, sitting down, warming up, that might be a little dangerous for us to go that route,” Manuel said.
If Maine rejoins the rotation, Hisanori Takahashi would shift to the bullpen.
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Luis Castillo [foot] has been taking ground balls in Port St. Lucie and could be activated from the disabled list later this week. Manuel said the next two days of workouts will likely determine if Castillo is back for the Subway Series.