In an effort to “shake up the lineup”, Mets manager Jerry Manuel will bat a kitten third in tonight’s game in Washington. “I just need to find the right mix,” he said after last night’s loss.

The kitten, one of a litter of seven, does not have a name yet, but clubhouse reporters describe it as “adorable”. To make room for the kitten on the 40-man roster, both Jose Reyes and Johan Santana were placed on irrevocable waivers and immediately claimed by the Braves and Phillies respectively.

This was not the only batting order shakeup Manuel considered. “I also thought about handing in a lineup with only seven names and seeing if I could get away with it,” he said.

Asked if this was a transparent effort to get fired as soon as possible, Manuel responded with a wan, chilling laugh.