Murphy’s Law rears ugly head again

While it may not have been as damaging as the injuries that piled up last season for the Mets, Daniel Murphy’s season-ending injury will certainly have ramifications with the roster in to the summer.

Murphy was perhaps days away from being recalled before he again was involved in another freak accident. On Wednesday night in Buffalo, while playing second base of all places, Murphy suffered an MCL tear of his right knee after an opposing player slid into him in an awkward manner. Previously, Murphy suffered a right knee sprain in the final week of spring training and was working his way back into shape. Yet another setback in a maddening season filled with its highs and lows.

Murphy was not going to be an everyday starter when he eventually would have been recalled since Ike Davis has taken over that position, but this injury still stings.

The Mets lack punch off the bench and Murphy’s bat could have come in handy for the stretch run. While in the minors, Murphy was trying to get work in at second base, while also playing first and the outfield, and possibly fill in for the oft-injured Luis Castillo, but that point is moot now.

So do the Mets now try to get a second baseman off the trade market? As of now, if Castillo does go on the DL, the plan is for the Mets to recall prospect Ruben Tejada and place him on the bench while Alex Cora plays second base.

That affects the bench now. If Murphy and Castillo are on the shelf, you have to go with Gary Matthews, Fernando Tatis, Chris Carter, Henry Blanco and Tejada.

Is that enough?

Matthews has been nothing short of a disappointment and Tatis is nothing to get too warmed up about. Blanco is what he is, a defensive back-up catcher. Everyone in Mets nation loves “The Animal” Carter, but can he sustain it? He’s great off the bench. However, with the Mets now without Murphy, the team sure could use a utility hitter with pop.

Here’s a name that is sure to conjure some memories — Ty Wigginton.

You know that Baltimore would be willing to ship him off knowing they have no plans for him being with the team long term. Wigginton earlier in the week confessed that he loved his time in New York, but would not get worked up in trade talks.

Wigginton has proved he still has plenty of pop left in his bat (13 home runs) and would be embraced back in New York. Ideally, you would like a lefty bat with power (Russell Branyan?), but if Wigginton and stabilizing pitcher Kevin Millwood could come to New York cheap, I don’t see the possible downside?