MLB.com is reporting that Twins OF Carlos Gomez left tonight’s game against the Indians on a stretcher after crashing into the outfield wall on a Ben Francisco fly ball. It is reported that he suffered a lower back injury.

Prayers are with you Carlos.

Just past the midway point in the season, we know how Johan Santana is doing with the Mets. Let’s take a look at how the prospects that the Mets sent to the Twins are doing.

Carlos Gomez
Gomez got off to a fair start over the first two months of the season, hitting .282 with 4 home runs, 23 runs batted in, 31 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. Since June 1st, Gomez is hitting .213 with 1 home run, 9 runs batted in, 21 runs scored and just four stolen bases. He has also struck out 98 out of 407 possible times. Entering Saturday’s game, leading the team with 384 at-bats, Gomez’ on-base percentage was .284, which ranked last among all American League lead off hitters, and ranks 82nd among 83 hitters who qualify for the American League batting title.

Philip Humber
Humber started off as a starter for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, going 3-7 with a 5.97 ERA in 15 starts, but was moved to the bullpen three weeks ago. He went 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched out of the pen. Humber is now headed back to the rotation and is scheduled to make his next start against Toledo on Wednesday night. The 25-year old right-hander seems to be having trouble since needing Tommy John Surgery in 2005 and has slowed his path to the majors.

Kevin Mulvey
Mulvey has made 19 starts for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, compiling a 3-8 record with a 3.97 ERA. He could see work out of the bullpen during September call ups, but we don’t expect to see him in the Twins rotation anytime in 2008. The Twins also have Francisco Liriano pitching in Triple-A and would most likely get the call if any injury were to occur on the major league roster.

Deolis Guerra
Guerra is 10-4 with a 4.42 ERA in 18 starts so far for the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle. The 19-year old is averaging just about six innings per start with one complete game shutout on the season.

We’ll check back one last time at the end of the season to see how the former Mets finished out the season.

One of the main problems for the Mets this season has been the fact that the Mets’ bench players (or as Gary Cohen so affectionately calls them, “The Irregulars,”) have gotten a little too regular.

This is not exactly a new problem, considering the Mets’ outfield was also decimated in 2007. Moises Alou was missing in action from May 13 through July 26 that year and only played in 87 games. Before Alou was injured, Lastings Milledge was hurt in the minors, and he didn’t return until July 12. Endy Chavez lost nearly three months of his season after a base-running injury on June 6 in a forgettable game against the Phillies. A young, not-yet-ready Carlos Gomez started in their stead until July 12 when he too was injured, shelving him for two full months. Even Shawn Green had a short D.L. stint from May 29 - June 11.

This year, though, Alou has only played a mind-boggling 15 games, putting him on pace for a much lower total. Alou is also on his third disabled list trip of this season as the Mets hit the halfway mark. Angel Pagan was impressive in spring training and April, but he hasn’t seen action since May 12. Ryan Church finally returned today and hopefully he is handled with kids’ gloves. No whammies.

This has led to a plethora of players getting the opportunity at starting for the Mets in left field and right field this season. One could argue that many of them should not be starting a major league baseball game in 2008.

Distancing himself from the likes of Brady Clark, Abraham Nunez, and Gustavo Molina, Fernando Tatis actually made a contribution for the Mets in 2008. He’s tailed off since his start, but he is at least maintaining statistics good for a bench player. The key phrase in that sentence is bench player. It’s time for Tatis to stop getting starts and start being solely a right-handed bat off the bench. These 1-for-4 and 1-for-5 days aren’t helping much.

One of the strategies that Jerry Manuel said he’d employ as manager is to use the No. 2 hole to get guys going. I guess one of the main guys he meant when he said that was Marlon Anderson. Anderson has gotten two starts at the spot under Manuel and went 1-for-6. For some reason, Anderson is one of the guys the Mets view as a potential No. 2 hitter on some days. He’s 1-for-14 when in the No. 2 hole at an atrocious .071 clip. Currently, Anderson is batting .198 as just another left-handed bat on the Mets. As such, he probably shouldn’t even be on the team, let alone getting the occasional start.

Trot Nixon today added his name to the long list of Mets’ outfield injuries over the past two years. When the Mets traded for him, the move was mildly praised as everyone mused, “Intangibles! Nixon’s got ‘em!” Hopefully, he’s leading the team in grit and determination because he’s not leading the team in anything else. Admittedly, it’s a small sample size, but since the Mets acquired him on June 15, he’s batted .171. His lone saving grace was a solo shot he hit against the Rockies during a blowout. Oh, and he had a decent first game against Texas. Considering Nixon is a guy who is limited to outfield play, unlike some of the others, it’s probably best to cut the cord on this project.

The Andy Phillips move just doesn’t make sense for the Mets. For the Yankees, Phillips was known as a light-hitting defensive alternative, and outside of a half year with the Yankees in 2007, his stats match up with that. He did bat over .300 this season for the Reds’ Triple-A Louisville, but when called up to Cincinnati, he batted .143 in 21 at-bats. Since that Carlos Delgado platoon is never going to happen with anybody and since other guys can play first base, the Phillips move is puzzling.

With Church back, right field is hopefully taken care of. As far as left field goes, just starting Chavez every day isn’t such a bad idea. He hardly ever gets at-bats versus lefties, but what’s funny is he’s actually batting for a higher average. That’s obviously skewed, but Chavez’s average against lefties from 2005-2007 is actually .328 in 128 at-bats. Chavez is hitting about as well as any of “the irregulars,” and he’s certainly the best defensive outfielder of the bunch. Why not just start him in left field for the time being?

Strangely enough, the same thing is happening to Damion Easley this season. He’s batting .215 in 93 at-bats against righties and .333 in 42 at-bats against lefties. Like Chavez, Easley is hitting about as well as any of the “irregulars.” In a perfect world, he could be used as a utility infielder, starting whenever someone in the infield is out. Unfortunately, Luis Castillo has been too injured for that.

Going into the season, the Mets’ outfield looked like a strength, actually. Pagan was slated as a hot-hitting No. 4 outfielder, and Chavez was actually the Mets’ No. 5. Who knew all these guys would end up getting time?

Congrats to Ex Met and current Twin Carlos Gomez on his first career cycle against the White Sox tonight. Gomez went 4-5, including his second home run of the year.

Go Go Gomez Cycle.

The AP is reporting former Met Carlos Gomez had to be carted off the field tonight after getting hit by a thrown ball trying to steal second and then colliding with Detriot second baseman Placido Polanco’s knee in Minnesota.

Gomez slid headfirst into the bag just as Rodriguez’s throw got there. The ball hit off Gomez’s helmet and ricocheted well into left field. Gomez’s head then collided with second baseman Placido Polanco’s left knee and he lay motionless on the turf for several minutes while team doctors and Rodriguez rushed to check on him.

Gomez eventually sat up and wobbled as he was placed onto the cart to be taken off the field, ending what was a nice game for the 22-year-old speedster. Gomez did not lose consciousness and was deemed OK by team physicians after being examined in the clubhouse, the Twins said.

After a hot start and base stealing frenzie, Carlos Gomez has cooled, and could be soon stealing bases for the AAA Rochester Red Wings.  Bad news for Gomez and Twins fans, good news for me, since they play a five minute drive away. Gomez was given a day off Wednesday, his first since the season began.

Slumping after a hot first week of the season, guess it just goes to show us that deep down, Gomez will always be a New York Met.

MLB.com is reporting that Twins newly named CF Carlos Gomez pulled his hamstring this afternoon and left the game. The injury does not appear to be serious.

That’d be tough for Gomez is he has to sit for any period of time after being named the starter.

The Minnesota Twins have named Carlos Gomez their starting center fielder, demoting his competition for the spot to AAA Rochester.  Joining the Red Wings will be Gomez trade mate Phil Humber. Gomez has done respectable for the spring, with a 286 average and 10 stolen bases. He’ll join an outfield that also includes fellow new Twin Delmon Young.

The AP reports that the former prospects dealt by the Mets for some random Venezuelan guy have arrived at the Twins spring training facilities. Phil Humber was assigned Santana’s old locker, and had this to say:

He didn’t leave any money in it. I already looked

They further report that all four are ready to try and prove their worth to their new club and its fans, though Gomez is the sole one believed to have a good chance at making the active roster.

I hope they do well, but for the selfish reason that the Twins AAA affiliate has their stadium about ten minutes from my apartment, so I’ll get to watch Humber pitch and possible Gomez play as well. Its good to see that they seem to be taking all this well, going from Mets of the future to a place where they’re ‘those guys we got for the Greatest Pitcher in the Majors.” Yeah, no pressure boys.