Mets Expected To Place Kirk Nieuwenhuis On Disabled List, Recall Jordany Valdespin

Kirk Nieuwenhuis was scheduled to start for the Mets last night, but he was a last-minute scratch with a right hand injury that came up during batting practice. This morning, Terry Collins expects Nieuwenhuis to hit the disabled listbecause of the injury. Jordany Valdespin is with the Mets and will be activated in his place if necessary.

Called up on the second day of the season to fill in for Andres Torres, Nieuwenhuis is hitting .275/.335/.414 on the season. He struggled to get on base but hit for decent power in the month of June, posting a .281 on-base percentage and .464 slugging percentage.

Valdespin has hit .222/.246/.429 in a couple of stints with the Mets this season. In Buffalo, he's hit .289/.329/.430. Given the Mets' glut of middle infielders, Valdespin could see some time in the outfield, which is where he's spent just shy of half of his defensive playing time in Buffalo this year.

Assuming this all goes according to Collins's expectations, that leaves the Mets with an everyday outfield of Valdespin and Scott Hairston platooning in left field, Torres in center, and Lucas Duda in right.

Update: Scratch everything about Nieuwenhuis for now. Left-handed relief pitcher Justin Hampson has been designated for assignment, and Valdespin has officially been recalled. The Mets return to a six-man bullpen for now while they presumably wait out the Nieuwenhuis injury for another day or two before making a decision about the disabled list.