ShareThisPORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Of all the questions the New York Mets need to answer this spring, the health of their All-Star shortstop's right hamstring might already be crossed off the list.
Spring training didn't open officially until Thursday, when the team's pitchers and catchers reported to camp, but Jose Reyes has already been on the practice field, taking ground balls and batting practice before finishing up with a few agility drills.
Afterward, he told reporters here his leg feels strong and that he's confident the hamstring injury, which torpedoed his 2009 season, is fully healed.
"I don't have to care about anything," Reyes said. "Just do what I do before."
That's exactly what the Mets are hoping.
For Reyes.
And for all the other returning players who were lost to injury last season, when a supposed playoff contender was reduced to an also-ran that finished 70-92, in fourth place in the National League East, 23 games behind the division-champion Philadelphia Phillies.
Just three weeks ago, general manager Omar Minaya showed up at the Tradition Field complex for a mini-camp and said: "I think a healthy Mets team will contend for a playoff spot."
Certainly, Minaya's Mets must avoid 2009's injuries to have a chance at a playoff spot in 2010, which will begin with center fielder Carlos Beltran recovering from knee surgery and pitching ace Johan Santana coming off elbow surgery.
Health, however, is merely one of several nagging question marks confronting the Mets as they open camp. Truth is, there are more unknowns about this team than you'd expect from a big-budget club with playoff aspirations.
Do the Mets have enough starting pitching behind Santana? Can John Maine rediscover the winning form he showed in 2007? Can Mike Pelfrey rebound from a disappointing 2008? Will Oliver Perez pitch up to his contract? Who will claim the No. 5 spot in the rotation?
In the bullpen, do the Mets have a dependable set-up man in front of closer Francisco Rodriguez? Will it be Kelvim Escobar? Or Ryota Igarashi? Or someone else?
Moving to the lineup: With Beltran opening the season on the disabled list -- and out of the lineup for at least the first month of the season who will play center field? Can Angel Pagan handle the job? Or will it fall to the grossly overpaid Gary Matthews Jr., acquired in a trade with the Angels? Over in left, how much will free agent signee Jason Bay, who hit a career-high 36 home runs with 119 RBIs for the Red Sox last season, produce? Or will he struggle in the cavernous confines of Citi Field?
Similarly, can Daniel Murphy put up the power numbers the Mets need at first base, assuming he figures out how to play the position? And what about David Wright? After hitting only 10 home runs last season, can he regain his long-ball stroke?
Then who's going to catch? Omir Santos or Josh Thole? Henry Blanco, perhaps? And are you excited about any of them? Which brings us to another scary question mark: Will the Mets' defense improve, at least to the point where they don't embarrass themselves as they did last season?
Finally, what happens to manager Jerry Manuel, who is the final year off his contract, if the Mets stumble out of the gate?
"My situation is, regardless of contract, you've got to perform," Manuel said recently. "Because of the struggles we had keeping people healthy and playing well, it's important to get off to a good start to invigorate people again to come out and be a part of what, hopefully, we can accomplish."
Key word: "hopefully."
Let's face it, these Mets open camp with their fingers crossed.
They're hoping a lot of things go right -- that they stay healthy, that injured players are fully recovered and ready to produce, that proven players again perform as well they once did.
Even Minaya said this team "needs breaks."
All of which means nobody really knows what to expect.
"We have some good players," Manuel said. "We have some guys who have been in the league for a while. We have some All-Star players. And we have some guys coming back. But we have some challenges."
They have questions that they're hoping they can answer this spring.
But Reyes' leg shouldn't be one of them.
"I have to think it's over," Reyes said of his injury troubles. "I've been working so hard to try to stay healthy on the field, I have to think that way. I have to be strong in my mind. Hopefully, that will never happen again."
The Mets can only hope 2009 never happens again.
(Ray McNulty is a columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida. This column reflects his opinion. For more of his thoughts, you can follow his blog at www.tcpalm.com/mcnulty. He can be reached at ray.mcnulty(at)scripps.com.)
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