JUPITER, Fla. — Just one more reason it’s been a spring training to forget for Mike Pelfrey: He has battled a high ankle sprain for most of camp.
The beleaguered Mets right-hander is refusing to use it as an excuse, but told The Post yesterday he sprained his right ankle in the offseason and then aggravated the injury shortly after camp began.
It helps explain why Pelfrey’s velocity was only in the high 80s for his first two Grapefruit League starts.
It wasn’t until Sunday’s abysmal start against the Astros — in which Pelfrey surrendered eight runs over 2 2/3 innings — that he says the ankle felt better.
“I just don’t want to roll it again,” Pelfrey said.
Pelfrey is sporting a 14.90 ERA in three exhibition starts, but pitching coach Dan Warthen indicated he liked what he saw from the righty on Sunday, results notwithstanding.
“The ankle sprain is why he was out of the stretch all this time and the velocity was what it was,” Warthen said. “This was the best he felt, over against Houston.”
Pelfrey said the ankle shouldn’t be an issue in his next start.
“It’s not bad,” he said.
* Manager Terry Collins said there were no new developments with center fielder Andres Torres, who left Tuesday’s game with a strained left calf muscle. Mike Baxter started in center yesterday, and Collins plans to start Matt Den Dekker there today against the Astros.
The manager also wants infielder Jordany Valdespin to begin taking fly balls in center. Valdespin homered in yesterday’s 2-1 exhibition loss to the Cardinals.
* Top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler will miss at least one minor league exhibition start after spraining his left ankle.