Cliff Floyd will remain a member of the New York Mets active lineup for their National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Tuesday, Mets general manager Omar Minaya had said it would be a risk to keep the veteran outfielder on the roster, but obviously had a change of heart.
Floyd reinjured his foot during Saturday's series-winning game over the Los Angeles Dodgers when he ran hard to score from first on a double.
Cliff Floyd had been considered a risk but will stay on the Mets active lineup heading into the NLCS.
(Kathy Willens/Associated Press)
While the Mets described the injury as a strained left Achilles tendon, Minaya said the team's medical staff treated Floyd's ankle on Monday.
Right after the injury, Floyd was unsure whether he'd be able to play in the NLCS, which opens Wednesday at Shea Stadium in New York (8:19 p.m. ET).
Floyd, bothered by the foot for much of the season, batted .444 (4-for-9) with a home run and two RBIs in the three games against the Dodgers.
With the Mets missing injured starting pitchers Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez, Tom Glavine will start Game 1 against Cardinals right-hander Jeff Weaver.
John Maine, acquired from Baltimore in the Kris Benson trade last January, started Game 1 against the Dodgers and Steve Trachsel started Game 3.
Oliver Perez, sent to the Mets by Pittsburgh on July 31 along with Roberto Hernandez for Xavier Nady, was in line to pitch a fourth game, which wasn't needed.
Dave Williams, who hasn't pitched in a game since Sept. 11, could be added to the roster.
Minaya said Williams, who beat the Cardinals on Aug. 24, threw five or six innings in a simulated game in Florida.
Williams was acquired from Cincinnati in May.
"Did I expect these guys to be key guys in the playoffs?" Minaya said. "That wasn't my hope.
"But they are. But one thing about them, they're not afraid to take the ball."
Perez, 3-13 during the regular season, would be only the second pitcher with a regular-season record 10 games under .500 to start a post-season game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
He joins Albie Lopez, who was 9-19 in 2001 and started twice in the playoffs for Arizona.
Perez had a 1-2 record and 4.82 earned-run average in three starts against the Cardinals.
Williams was 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA, also making three starts.
"We have to take into account also how guys performed against the Cardinals during the regular season," Minaya said.
Randolph a winner
Minaya praised manager Willie Randolph for his decisions against the Dodgers, saying "he took some bold chances."
Hired by the Mets before the 2005 season, Randolph won two World Series titles as a player with the New York Yankees and four more as a coach.
"When we hired Willie, the one thing that stood out in the back of my mind was this guy understands winning," Minaya said. "Here's a guy that's been through it and understands playoff baseball as good or better than anybody that I know of."
While the Mets won the NL East and matched the Yankees for the best record in the major leagues at 97-65, St. Louis was just 83-78.
The Mets took four of six from the Cardinals during the regular season.
"It's going to be a tough series," Minaya said. "When you play Tony La Russa's teams, you better come ready to play."
Minaya wasn't concerned about outfielder Carlos Beltran, who sustained an abdominal injury during Saturday's game.
"Right now, it's a minor thing," Minaya said. "Like anything else, a lot of guys are banged up and stuff like that."
