Quad injury puts Tejada on disabled list

NEW YORK -- The Mets spent much of Wednesday debating shortstop Ruben Tejada's future in the Major Leagues. Circumstances outside their control have since made that conversation moot.

Tejada pulled up lame pursuing a popup in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Yankees, and the Mets announced on Thursday that they have placed him on the disabled list. The Mets recalled shortstop Omar Quintanilla from Triple-A Las Vegas and moved Frank Francisco to the 60-day DL to clear room on the 40-man roster.

"He said he felt it running after the popup," Collins said of a Reid Brignac ball that drifted into shallow left field. "He thought he could actually maybe catch it. But … he felt his leg starting to pull on him, so he slid. And the ground ball [that followed], you could tell obviously something was wrong."

Tejada strained the same quad early last season, spending nearly two months on the disabled list. He has been mired in a 1-for-17 slump at the plate which, combined with a series of defensive and baserunning errors, had him on the verge of a Minor League demotion.

"I have to concentrate on my job," Tejada said. "I have to get better every day and go play hard every day."

Quintanilla, who nearly made the Mets' Opening Day roster, is batting .328 with a .415 on-base percentage in 46 games at Vegas.