Rick Ankiel Headed to the Big Apple

By ZACH DOLEIDEN

NEW YORK – In an attempt to improve one of the worst outfields in Major League Baseball, the Mets have agreed to terms with veteran Rick Ankiel on a Major League contract.

To clear a roster spot for Ankiel, New York optioned outfielder Andrew Brown to AAA Las Vegas. Ankiel is slated to start in center field against one of his former teams when the Mets begin their series with the Cardinals this evening.

The 33-year old outfielder began the season with the Astros but was cut by the team after batting .194 with five home runs and 35 strikeouts in just 65 plate appearances.

Ankiel holds a career batting average of .243 split between time spent with the Cardinals, Nationals, Royals, Braves and Astros.

Ankiel figures to be more of a defensive upgrade for the Mets though, who envision a platoon in center field between the veteran outfielder and right-handed rookie Juan Lagares. With runs coming at a premium lately, the defense has to play that much tighter and Ankiel has a strong arm the Mets believe can help save some runs.

“Because offense is something that we certainly covet a lot, we’ve tried to put some offensive players in the game,” manager Terry Collins said. “And right now, nobody’s hitting. So we’ve got to go catch the baseball.”

Two-Week Recap: Offensively Challenged Mets Drop to 14-20

By ZACH DOLEIDEN 

NEW YORK – Two more weeks have gone by and the Mets still find themselves struggling to get anything going offensively. In the team’s four series against the Marlins, Braves, White Sox and Pirates, New York was outscored 55-36 and fell to 14-20 on the season as they remain locked in fourth place in the NL East.

After salvaging game three of their first series versus the Marlins in what was Miami’s first series victory of the season, the Mets split a rain-shortened tilt with the Braves.

Against the White Sox, the Metropolitans could only scratch off a meager four runs in two games, the first of which saw New York’s ace Matt Harvey toss nine shutout innings of one-hit ball and still receive a no-decision as the go-ahead run didn’t score until the tenth inning in a 1-0 victory.

From there, they dropped four of their last five contests with their only victory coming in Thursday’s 3-2 win in the series opener with the Pirates.

For a team that ranked amongst the highest scoring teams in the National League just a few weeks ago, the frustrations have continued piling on for the Mets as the bats of several key players have grown quiet.

First baseman Ike Davis has gotten off to another dreadful start for his second straight season, batting a disappointing .169 with only four home runs and nine RBI. Davis was able to turn it around last season and ended the year with 32 homers, but there are no signs of improvement at the plate that signal a rapid turnaround on the horizon.

Catcher John Buck, who carried the team for the first two weeks, has also cooled off at the dish. Buck has just seven hits in his last 36 at bats and has seen his season average slide to .228.

Left fielder Lucas Duda has been a symbol of inconsistency thus far as his average has fluctuated between the mid .280’s and the .213 mark that it stands at right now.

If just these three bats are able to heat up and perform at a consistent level long enough for the rest of the team to find its stroke at the plate, the Mets may be able to get on a small winning streak.

As long as the whole team remains in a slump however, the wins may prove hard to come by.