Mets to activate Justin Turner, option Greg Burke to Las Vegas

Earlier this morning, the Mets announced via Twitter that they will activate utility infielder Justin Turner from the 15-day disabled list before tonight's game with the Braves. A corresponding move was announced soon thereafter when the Mets optioned side-arming righty Greg Burke to Triple-A Las Vegas to open up a spot on the roster. The Mets had been playing a man short on the bench and without a backup shortstop since Jordany Valdespin's demotion to Vegas before the All-Star break.

Turner, who went down with an intercostal strain on June 17th and hasn't been seen since he impressively smashed a real pie in Kirk Nieuwenhuis' face the day before (pictured above), completed his rehab assignment yesterday in Brooklyn. Before getting hurt, Turner had hit a so-so .266/.307/.330 with a .283 wOBA and 80 wRC+, while serving as the team's primary backup at all four infield positions and the celebratory pie man for walk-off victories. At the least, this certainly serves to improve the Mets' grission quotient by a great deal.

Burke has spent a lot of time on the Vegas to New York shuttle this season and has been inconsistent in his big league trials. In 29 innings, his 5.28 ERA belies a 3.02 FIP, as well as some other strong indicators. He's had a lot of trouble with balls in play, as his .363 BABIP has led to him averaging a sky-high 11.8 hit per nine innings. Regardless, he wasn't very effective in his most recent stint with the team, allowing 8 runs to score in 8 innings over 6 appearances.