Mets’ Harnisch Rejoins Teammates

New York Mets pitcher Pete Harnisch, diagnosed with depression, rejoined his teammates for the first time Sunday since the condition forced him to leave the club last month.

Harnisch had planned to make the trip from his New Jersey home to Shea Stadium a few days earlier, but “wasn’t feeling so good.”

He decided to give it a go for the Met game Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He arrived a little after 8 a.m. and attended morning mass in one of the stadium’s clubhouses. He lifted weights, played catch during batting practice and joked with teammates.

“Right now, I’m at a little crossroads as far as the medication I’m taking,” he said. “I’m getting better. The anxiety is getting better at this point.”

Will he pitch again this season?

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” he said. “I expect too. It’s hard for me to put a timetable on it, but I hope to join the team in the near future.”

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Montreal pitcher Matt Wagner has opted for arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder after he felt pain warming up Friday night before the Expos played San Diego.

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Philadelphia placed pitcher Mark Portugal on the 15-day disabled list before the game and recalled Matt Beech from triple-A Scranton.

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Cincinnati’s Reggie Sanders began a rehabilitation assignment at double-A Chattanooga. He has been on the disabled list since mid-April with a bulging disk in his back.