Their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, was released without bail and told to stay away from his father-in-law after being arrested Wednesday night on charges he assaulted the man. Their ace, Johan Santana, had a lawsuit filed against him by a woman accusing him of wrongful imprisonment and rape in southwest Florida in October. And their playoff hopes are barely alive in the wake of a horrid second half, having lost 17 of 26 games since the All-Star break. The Mets beat Colorado on Thursday 4-0 but are 57-57, 9 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

"It's been a tough year," Minaya said at the owners' meetings. "It's been disappointing. We thought we were better than a .500 team. We certainly feel we are better than this."

Minaya declined comment on the charges against Rodriguez, saying he didn't have enough information. Yet the Mets suspended Rodriguez for two days and placed him on their restricted list, costing him about $125,000 in salary.

"Ownership and the organization are very disappointed in Francisco's inappropriate behavior," Mets chief operating officerJeff Wilpon announced, "and we take this matter very seriously."

Rodriguez was charged with assaulting his father-in-law,Carlos Pena, outside the family lounge at Citi Field after Wednesday's game. Rodriguez, 28, repeatedly hit Pena, 53, in the face and banged his head against the wall, according to New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne. Pena was hospitalized with the facial injuries.

The Mets, who have won only two of their past 12 series, are also contending with the lawsuit against Santana, who has said he had consensual sex with the woman on a golf course in Fort Myers, Fla.. No charges were filed because of lack of evidence, Lee County authorities said.

"That hasn't been a distraction," Minaya said. "We just haven't played well, particularly offensively. The pitching has been great. The young guys have stepped up. But the hitting has been very disappointing."

The Mets have batted just .225 since July 1, with a .288 on-base percentage, ranking 29th in the major leagues. They are averaging three runs a game since the All-Star break.

"There's still a lot of baseball left," Minaya said, "so we still have hope. We just need to turn this around."

Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur told the Associated Press: "Maybe it's a distraction we need. Not to say it's a good thing. But maybe at the end of the day we can turn it into a positive. I know for him, it's between him and his family."