The New York Mets are used to dealing with players leaving the team due to injury as well as their fans being vocal with their displeasure, but this time its second baseman Daniel Murphy drawing the ire of Mets fans as he has taken a paternity leave from the team following the birth of his son.
Multiple sources reported that Murphy was placed on paternity leave, which per Major League Baseball rules means that he will be absent from the team for one-to-three days after his wife gave birth to their son, Noah, in Florida on Monday.
General manager Sandy Alderson told reporters he expected Murphy back in the lineup by Thursday.
Murphy sat out of the Mets' Opening Day 9-7 loss to the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Monday to be by his wife's side as she gave birth, and now it appears as though he could be with her for the next three days.
Eric Young Jr. took Murphy's spot in the lineup on Monday, and went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. The team called up Wilmer Flores from Triple-A Las Vegas for Wednesday night's game against the Nationals where New York looks to even the series.
Murphy, who was one of the Mets better hitters in 2013 with a .286 average along with 13 homers and 78 RBI in 161 games, has received some backlash on Twitter from fans while others have had some fun with it:
I suppose he feels being dad is important too. MT @j_della9: Ridiculous .. MLB ball player, had healthy kid on Monday and can't play on Wed?
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) April 2, 2014
Daniel Murphy should just troll Mets fans and stay home with his wife for a few more days. I'm sure they'll love that. — Gavin Ewbank (@GavinEwbank) April 2, 2014
Isn't Murphy the guy we are always saying isn't good enough? You wanted Flores you got him. Take your time Daniel.
— metspolice.com (@metspolice) April 2, 2014
And you thought Daniel Murphy wasn't going to go viral this year... — Hayden W Kane (@hwkane) April 2, 2014
Come on...he just. had 5 mths off plus the past 2 days. Team 1st. @AdamRubinESPN: Daniel Murphy is on paternity leave. Beginning today.
— Aaron Cano (@a_cano) April 2, 2014
Even the local Boomer and Carton radio show featuring former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton in New York City on WFAN and the CBS Sports Network joined in on the fun:
Murphy missed just one game for the Mets last season, but now he'll sit out the first two and possibly more in 2014 due to the birth of his son Noah.
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