Minaya: K-Rod remorseful about altercation

Mets general manager Omar Minaya said on Friday that Francisco Rodriguez is "very remorseful" after getting arrested at Citi Field on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting his fiancee's father.

Minaya, speaking before Friday's Mets-Phillies game, said he talked with Rodriguez on Thursday after the closer's arraignment for third-degree assault. The Mets suspended Rodriguez for two days without pay; he will return to the team on Saturday and will be eligible to pitch against the Phillies.

Minaya said he told Rodriguez his actions outside the family lounge at Citi Field were "not acceptable. He understands that. He admits that. He feels really bad, of course, that he put not [just] himself, but he put his teammates and he put the organization in a bad light."

Minaya was the first Mets executive to speak about Rodriguez's arrest. Chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon released a statement on Thursday which called Rodriguez's actions "inappropriate."

Minaya, who was in Minneapolis at an owners' meeting Wednesday and Thursday, said Rodriguez was apologetic, but did not explicitly apologize during their conversation.

"Did he apologize to me?" Minaya said, repeating a question. "I mean, yeah, I'm saying he feels really bad, that he let the organization down, he let himself down, he let his teammates down. To me that's an apology. Did he use those words? I can't tell you that. But I will tell you that he does not feel good about the actions that were taken."

The incident was not the first Rodriguez has had since he signed a three-year, $37-million contract with the Mets before the 2009 season. He has had verbal altercations with coach Randy Niemann, former executive Tony Bernazard and former Yankees reliever Brian Bruney.

Minaya said he was "disappointed" when he first heard of Rodriguez's arrest, but did not regret bringing him to New York. He said he did not focus on what effect it might have on the field.

"You think about the person, the incident, the other person," he said. "You think about a lot of things. The baseball side for me is a secondary side."

The baseball side will be front and center on Saturday if manager Jerry Manuel chooses to use Rodriguez in the game. Before that, Rodriguez is expected to address the media, and it's likely he'll also have something to say to his teammates.

Mets players continued to express support for Rodriguez on Friday while not condoning his actions. The fact the incident took place in front of family members, including children, was criticized on Thursday by players such as Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran.

Reyes said he expected Rodriguez to apologize to the team on Saturday.

"I'm sure he's going to apologize," he said. "I'm sure. He's going to apologize to everybody. That's the way it's supposed to be."

Beltran, however, was less certain.

"I don't know what he plans to do," he said. "Whatever he has in mind, he will do it. I don't expect anything special."