Mets Put Piazza, Reed On DL

While the New York Mets keep winning games, they keep losing players.

Pitcher Rick Reed was put on the 15-day disabled list before today's home opener against Florida because of a torn calf muscle.

"There is not an Achilles' tendon injury," general manager Steve Phillips said, describing the diagnosis as good news. "It's likely at the end of the 15 days we'll be able to activate him and put him back in the rotation."

Reed, 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA last season, hurt his left leg trying to stretch his game-tying RBI single into a double during Sunday's 6-3 win at Montreal. "I don't want to miss my next start," he said. "I don't think I will. It started to stiffen up but after I got some ice I was able to walk around."

All-Star catcher Mike Piazza also was put on the disabled list today, retroactive to Saturday, after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a rundown Friday night.

New York filled the roster spots by recalling left-hander Rigo Beltran and outfielder Terrence Long from Norfolk of the International League.

Manager Bobby Valentine said Allen Watson would take Reed's turn in the rotation against Philadelphia this weekend and that Todd Pratt would be the everyday catcher until Piazza returns.

"We're going to miss a big cog, but we're going to be able to play," Valentine said.

Piazza didn't want go on the disabled list.

"The doctor made it clear that if I do play, and I run the bases and suddenly have to change directions it could be a full tear and that would mean surgery," he said. "Considering that possibility, I figure that this is for the best."

The Mets returned home after a 5-2 opening road trip and sent Bobby Jones (1-0) against Livan Hernandez (0-1) on a cold but sunny afternoon at Shea Stadium. The Mets had an advance sale of about 45,000 coming in.

"It just feels like the season didn't start yet because we've been on the road, so tomorrow I guess the season will start," closer John Franco said after Sunday's game. "We'll have our own crowd behind us, rather than everyone else's. We've played two home openers, Florida and here, and now we'll have our own, and guys can get settled in and get apartments and get used to the home surroundings."

It will be the Mets' first game at Shea Stadium since their season-ending flop last year, when they went 0-5 and scored just seven runs to finish one game behind Chicago and San Francisco in the NL wild-card race.

It also will be Bobby Bonilla's first game at Shea Stadium in a Mets uniform since 1995.

"I've had some pretty good opening days for New York, so that's one positive thing," Bonilla said. "But everybody's really pretty fired up. We were able to do a nice job here in Montreal, which was very important."

The Mets have won five of six since losing their opener at Miami last Mondy. But because of Piazza's injury, many fans worry whether their offense will struggle.

"I'm sure they'll be disappointed that he's not there because he's such a great player," first baseman John Olerud said. "He's the guy for us, offensively speaking, and so it definitely hurts having him out of the lineup.

"But I think we have a good team. We have a lot of good guys on this team, guys that can swing the bat, so hopefully we can pick up the slack until he comes back."

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