Mets add Uribe to World Series roster
Veteran infielder hasn't played since late September due to a chest injury
KANSAS CITY -- Three days of live batting practice and two World Series rings convinced the Mets. After missing the first two rounds of the postseason, veteran infielder Juan Uribe is on New York's World Series roster, despite being out since Sept. 25 because of a chest injury.
The World Series begins tonight from Kauffman Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET air time on FOX, 8 p.m. ET game time), with Mets right-hander Matt Harvey starting opposite Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez.
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"I can walk through the locker room, I can't find anybody that's got two World Series rings except him," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Uribe, referring to his titles with the 2005 White Sox and '10 Giants. "He brings that guy who's been on this stage and has not been affected by it. Yes, he hasn't played in three weeks … but he's still got two World Series rings. I know when he walks up there, he has a feel for what he has to do to get a hit."
Uribe replaced rookie infielder Matt Reynolds, who did not play in the National League Division Series or the NL Championship Series after taking the spot of injured shortstop Ruben Tejada.
The move leaves the Mets without a natural backup shortstop, though Kelly Johnson is capable of playing that position in a pinch. Should Uribe's health preclude him from playing in the Fall Classic, the Mets can replace him on the roster with permission from the Commissioner's Office, but he'd be ineligible for the remainder of the series.
Because of all that, Collins said he required Uribe to go through three days of live batting practice and a full workout Monday, then be willing to look his teammates "in the eyes" and tell them he was healthy, before the manager was willing to place him on the roster.
"He's not going to be intimidated by the surroundings, by the situation, so we think it's a pretty big move," Collins said. "I think he's 100 percent physically. Due to the fact that he hasn't played in a while is an issue, but in the coaches' meeting, we talked about this scenario and just think he's, with his experience, a better fit."