Nick Johnson, Jorge Posada and Jeff Wilpon

Busy day here at Yankee Stadium, and also down in Atlanta, where David Lennon is with the Mets. And let's start there: Jeff Wilpon met with Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel, to discuss the deteriorating Mets.

It bears repeating: Wilpon and Minaya want to see Manuel succeed. They like him. That's not to say that Manuel will be safe if they lose these next two in Atlanta and then two more in Washington by a combined 42-3 score, and if Manuel makes another seven head-scratching moves. But it does carry some relevance.

Meanwhile, it sounds like R.A. Dickey will start Wednesday night, and Hisanori Takahashi Friday. Both good calls, IMO. But at this point, it appears unrealistic to think that Oliver Perez will ever carry value again for the Mets. So it could behoove the team to take whatever B-level prospect another team will give up in return for the Mets paying the freight on Ollie.

--Here in New York, meanwhile, Nick Johnson has decided to go forward with surgery on his right wrist. Given his history, that call made sense. Joe Girardi said that Johnson won't pick up a bat for four-to-six weeks.

Let's give Johnson eight weeks to pick up a bat, and then say he needs another month to get ready for a major-league game. That conservative timetable projects his return as mid-August. So there is clearly still time for Johnson to come back and provide something for the Yankees' $5.5 million commitment to him.

At the moment, though, the Yankees don't miss Johnson terribly. If you polled the Yankees pitchers privately, they'd likely tell you any development that results in more Francisco Cervelli starts at catcher (and more Jorge Posada starts at DH) is a good thing.

But...Posada is hurting, too. It's his right foot, Girardi said. Day to day. And Nick Swisher is taking another day for his left biceps. Yet you compare the starting lineups tonight, and you have to give the Yankees the edge.

--A pet peeve: Girardi declined to reveal who in his bullpen would be available tonight. Once again, Girardi shows his football-coach side. Silly. As if tonight's game will be impacted .1% by the Red Sox wondering whom the Yankees will go to in the late innings. Unless the Yankees develop a secret bullpen area or a potion to make their pitchers invisible, then the Red Sox will have a pretty good idea once they see who's warming up.

--Good story here on former Yankee Scott Brosius, who seems to be enjoying life as the head coach of his alma mater, Linfield College. Speaking of former Yankees, I saw Graeme Lloyd outside the Stadium yesterday, as I departed with Mrs. Insider and my son. And David Wells was in the TBS Broadcast booth. If only Homer Bush and Roger Clemens had been around, we would've had ourselves a trade reunion.

--Live chat at noon on Thursday. Start making your plans now.