Cutnpaste: Ike Davis, Dan Warthen, Josh Stinson, Alan Dykstra, Santana 2012 Closer

9-5-11: - newsday.  - The Mets could decide as early as Monday if Ike Davis will need surgery to repair the injured left ankle that has kept him on the disabled list since May 11. After two days of baseball activity in Port St. Lucie, Fla., followed by Sunday off, Davis will work out with the Mets before Monday's game against the Marlins at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Davis is not yet ready to take full batting practice, but manager Terry Collins , along with the training staff, will watch him hit soft toss, field grounders and run at some point Monday. That will lead to more discussion later in the day with general manager Sandy Alderson , and if Davis reports no pain in the ankle, the Mets would prefer to hold off on the surgical option, which is likely to involve a microfracture procedure.

9-5-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/33888/mets-morning-briefing-9-5-11  - Terry Collins told the Daily News his recommendation is for his entire coaching staff to return intact. Hitting coach Dave Hudgens has a two-year deal. As for pitching coach Dan Warthen, the lone remaining member of the 2010 staff, Collins said: "Danny has done an excellent job. He gets them ready. He is sharp. It's a good situation when the players like the coaches. They have fun. They laugh. They have great communication with each other. That helps a lot. ... I do think they should all be back. They all did a great job, and there is something to be said for stability."

9-5-11: - .nypost.  - For a team in desperate need of bullpen help, Josh Stinson is making a fast impression. The rookie fired two scoreless innings of relief yesterday, helping the Mets beat the Nationals 6-3 on a day Mike Pelfrey struggled with control. Stinson pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings on Friday in his major league debut. Yesterday, he allowed a hit and walk over the two innings before Jason Isringhausen and Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless inning apiece. "Josh, the more you see him you are going to like this guy," manager Terry Collins said. "He's tough."

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html  - Allan Dykstra - The 6’5″ slugging lefty is enjoying a marvelous season in the run production categories at Bingo. In 378 AB’s he is hitting .259 with 17 HR’s and 71 RBI’s (9th in the EL). His OPS is a healthy .844, but with a K/BB ratio of 128/69, (8th in the league in striking out, 5th place in the EL in walks) it’s easy to see where he needs to improve. He needs to cut way down on his strikeouts, and until he does, he will remain in the minors. In order for Dykstra to procure the starting job in Buffalo next year, he will have to unseat the King. The legendary Valentino Pascucci has been handling the positon ever since Nick Evans went to the big leagues for good. Val is leading the team in HR’s with 21 (6th in the league), and RBI’s with 91 (2nd in the league), not to mention AB’s: 430, runs: 58, hits: 112, 2B’s: 29, TB’s: 206, walks: 75 (2nd in the league) and K’s: 143.

Do we honestly expect to see (Johan) Santana hold up for 30+ starts next year? Can you expect top of the rotation performance? If Santana is a slightly above league average pitcher as a starter does that help the team? The answer is no on all fronts. The Mets can employ Santana as their closer, a position they clearly have no answer for to date. Pitching one inning will allow the team to better control his utilization. I also think it would be less wear and tear on his shoulder despite the need to pitch on back-to-back days. You could institute the “Santana Rules” to keep him healthy and fresh. Perhaps no more than 35 pitches in an inning and never pitch him more than 3 days in a row. http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=39358