Former Card Izzy won't pitch in St. Louis
Jason Isringhausen pitches against the San Diego Padres in the tenth inning. (Aug. 15, 2011) Credit: AP
ST. LOUIS -- Jason Isringhausen spent seven seasons with the Cardinals and amassed 271 of his 300 saves in that time. But he won't get the chance to play the role of spoiler against his former club as he is still recovering from a herniated disc in his back.
"I'll try to throw off a mound while I'm here," said Isringhausen, whose last appearance was Sept. 6. "Hopefully, I can pitch when we get back [to New York]. I'll talk to the doctor and see how it feels."
Isringhausen, 39, and his family still live in St. Louis and when he drove to Busch Stadium Tuesday, he had a space in the Cardinals' lot. When a local reporter asked how it felt to be doing that as a Met, he deadpanned, "Same as the last 800 times I did it."
Without Isringhausen, the Mets will again be scrambling in the back end of their bullpen, and Terry Collins said Tuesday that he would use Manny Acosta, not Bobby Parnell, as closer.
