Mets activate Reynolds for SS insurance

NEW YORK -- Like so many others, Matt Reynolds gasped when he saw Chase Utley broke Ruben Tejada's leg with a takeout slide Saturday in National League Division Series Game 2. Watching with several of his teammates in a hotel lobby in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Reynolds did not realize the implications of that injury until Logan Verrett looked over to him.

"Dude," Verrett said to Reynolds. "You may be going to New York."

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Two days later, the Mets indeed activated Reynolds for NLDS Game 3 at Citi Field, giving themselves a measure of shortstop insurance should anything happen to starter Wilmer Flores. Though Reynolds briefly returned home to Oklahoma after the Minor League season, the Mets instructed him to Florida in case of emergency. He received approximately seven at-bats in instructional league games there before flying to New York

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"We needed to protect ourselves," manager Terry Collins said, indicating it's unlikely Reynolds will play under normal game circumstances. "The kid's first game in the big leagues is Game 3 with 48,000 people screaming. Putting him in for defense in the ninth inning? I'm not sure that's going to fly."

Still, the NLDS should be an eye-opening experience for Reynolds, who struggled at Triple-A Las Vegas this summer after nearly making the team out of Spring Training.

"It's kind of not how I wanted it, because Ruben got hurt," Reynolds said. "But that's what this business is. I'm just excited to be a part of this team, and do whatever I can to help us win.

"Honestly, I really don't feel that nervous. I just keep telling myself it's the same game, just a bigger stage. It's going to be fun."