There is a lot of pressure riding on New York Mets' center fielder Carlos Beltran this week.
After 285 days absent from the majors, paired with 14 rehab games with Mets' Single-A St. Lucie, Beltran will return to the New York lineup on Thursday for a four-game series in San Francisco. Beltran was placed on the DL to start the 2010 season as he underwent knee surgery in January.
As celebrated as his return may be, Beltran has to buckle down quick, because his role in returning to the Mets' lineup will be an important one. He's not easing back into things by taking up the nine-spot in the batting order for a few innings. He is batting clean-up against one of the National League's top pitchers on Thursday. Two-time Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum, to be exact.
Just like riding a bicycle, you never forget how to face one of MLB's top pitchers in the best batting position of the lineup … right?
Let's also not forget that Lincecum is coming off a week's rest, and though he was named to the National League All-Star team, he was not used in the game. Lincecum has caught wind of Beltran's return, and will be ready to take on the seasoned slugger.
"Carlos has been around awhile," Lincecum told reporters at the All-Star game Tuesday, according to ESPN.com. "He knows what he's doing. It probably won't take him too long to get back into the groove, I guess. He's one of those pure athletes. I'll just attack him the same way as if he was on a streak."
Beltran doesn't expect to take long to get back into his groove, and he has done well with St. Lucie. During his two-week rehab stint, the 33-year-old batted .367 with five RBIs and five doubles. Though he realizes he may not be at 100 percent for his return to the Mets' lineup, he's ready to contribute to the team's collective goal — to win the division.
“I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life," Beltran said. "That’s the way I feel. Now I need to go outside, play the game, get acclimated. After being out for so long, it’s tough. But at the same time I really feel that all the sacrifice, all the effort that I put into the rehab, the rehab paid off.”
The Mets have been battling in the NL East without Beltran, and are four games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the division. The Philadelphia Phillies are tailing right on New York's heels, however, as they are 4.5 games back in third. Perhaps the return of Beltran can put distance between the Mets and their Pennsylvania rival and focus on tackling the Braves.
"I'm happy to be back and be part of the team," Beltran said Sunday at Citi Field. "To try to help accomplish our mission, which is to try and win a division and try to be in the playoffs."
