Some Quotes on Reyes' Day Off

Flushing Baseball Daily

Apr 20, 2010

Saying Jose Reyes is injury prone is almost redundant, so when he took last night’s game off it raised some eyebrows, but fans can rest easy as his night off was just another routine day of rest for the Mets’ spark plug. The fact that it was his first since returning from an 11-month span on the DL was the only reason it was any cause for concern at all.

“I talked to (Manuel). I needed a day off,” Reyes said . “It’s going to be good for me.”

Here is what his manager had to say about the break: “I just think (yesterday) is a good day for (Reyes) to try and exhale,” Manuel said. “I think probably the next time you see him on the field, you’ll start seeing some things that you haven’t seen so far this year. I think you’ll start seeing him take that next step toward being consistent at the plate and in the field. And (today) I think will be the beginning of him really starting to take off.”

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Omar Minaya made a good point when he said that Reyes is still working his way into shape after missing most of spring training: “I’m not concerned,” said Minaya, referring to Reyes’ fatigue. “We expected without having spring training that it’s going to take a little time. Not having a full spring training, and basically he’s been out for a year, so I think Reyes is going to be fine. He’s not hitting for the average and all that, but I think the history of Jose Reyes is that when he gets everything put together he’s a very good player.”

Thoughts: This was probably a good idea. Not only had Reyes not taken a day off since returning, but he played every inning in a 20-inning game just a few days earlier. After everything he’s dealt with, time off might really help refresh him too. Baseball fans saw how much a little rest helped Alex Rodriguez last season after he returned from hip surgery. This is not the same exact thing, but A-Rod struggled until Yankees manager Joe Girardi started giving him regular time off. Maybe Manuel should do the same here.