In a surprise development to the Mets and Jose Reyes’ agent, the shortstop will remain in New York for several weeks and open the season on the DL.
On a conference call with reporters, agent Peter Greenberg and GM Omar Minaya said that Reyes cannot have any physical exertion for the next two to eight weeks. Initial tests suggested Reyes could be back in Port St. Lucie by the weekend, but the final tests showed Reyes’ thyroid levels spiked upward again when he did controlled physical activity Monday and Tuesday.
“He was very disappointed because the initial results said that he could possibly be back in a matter of days,” Greenberg said. “… We’re guilty of speaking a little bit too soon, unfortunately.”
Reyes’ thyroid levels will be tested weekly, and he’ll be cleared to resume physical activity once those normalize. That could take as long as two months, however, Greenberg said. Reyes should be absent several weeks beyond when the thyroid normalizes because he will be idle and will need to get back into playing shape. Adding to the complexity is that Reyes is returning from a torn hamstring and surgery to repair a severed hamstring tendon.
“He’s just going to have to rest,” Minaya said. “There’s not a specific time frame when it will get back to normal, but our doctors will be testing that on a regular basis.”
“Jose obviously is a little bit disappointed that it’s going to be a matter of weeks as opposed to days,” Greenberg said. “But it’s a completely curable, treatable situation. I think we all view it as good news. He’s supposed to rest and watch his diet. He’s not supposed to do anything that is going to raise the heart level so that the irritation can go down. … That’s why he’s staying at home—to just rest and relax and spend time with his family and watch a lot of movies. … He’ll be tested on a weekly basis and hopefully the levels will start down. The doctors told us this was the best possible diagnosis and that there is no intervention or medication necessary.”
Minaya said a virus or dietary cause may have triggered the initial thyroid trouble.
Minaya said 20-year-old Ruben Tejada could be the Mets’ Opening Day shortstop, with Alex Cora also an option. The switch-hitting Tejada is somewhat used to a big stage, having represented Panama in the World Baseball Classic. He makes solid contact, but he has a small, 6-foot, 160-pound frame and isn’t projected to hit for much power. Tejada hit .289 with five homers and 46 RBI in 488 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton last season.
It’s a huge blow to the Mets, who already are without Carlos Beltran, likely until mid-May. Jerry Manuel hoped to use Reyes in the No. 3 hole until Beltran returned.
“The good thing is Ruben Tejada is playing pretty well,” Minaya said. “I know Jerry has been playing him. And that’s one of the reasons we went out there and were able to get a guy like a Cora. Then again, let’s wait and see how the end of spring training goes.”
Reyes will not require medication, such as radioactive iodine, according to his agent.
“There is no medication for this,” Minaya said. “What we heard from our doctors and the specialists in this area is that it’s just rest right now.”
Said Greenberg: “He can walk, he can go shopping, that kind of stuff—but he can’t raise his heart rate. They don’t want him exercising or anything. As long as he follows the diet, which is no seafood, which he’ll do, they have no doubt that the levels will return to normal. I even asked whether there was a chance if this happens if he was at a higher risk for recurrence and they say that almost never is there a recurrence in this type. … It’s obviously mild because they said there’s no prescribed medication or intervention. It’s just a matter of rest and diet. I don’t really know exactly what the numbers were, but it’s mild.”
Greenberg suggested the high level of physical activity required for a professional athlete means Reyes needs to particularly be cautious.
“I think that’s probably very accurate and probably why it went from days to weeks once the doctors had all conferred,” he said.
Minaya wouldn’t confirm Reyes will start the season on the disabled list, but the timeline leads to know other conclusion.
“It doesn’t look good right now,” Minaya said. “With that timeline, every day that goes by, we have to prepare for that.”
