Corey Used Drug Before Collapse

New York Met pitcher Mark Corey admitted he smoked marijuana shortly before he had a seizure and collapsed on a street near Shea Stadium after a game Wednesday night, according to a newspaper report.

The New York reliever said he was to meet today with Met psychiatrist Allan Lans, coordinator of the Employee Assistance Program, Corey told Newsday in a story posted on its Web site.

“I guess I’ll have to deal with those things starting tomorrow,” Corey said.

Corey said doctors told him he’d been affected by an “anxiety attack.”

Corey underwent tests Thursday to determine what caused the seizure. Met General Manager Steve Phillips refused to discuss any drug-related topics regarding Corey.

Corey was taken to New York Medical Center after he was stricken about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was released early Thursday and put on the 15-day disabled list.

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The Mets alerted baseball officials this week that the elbow pad that Atlanta Brave outfielder Gary Sheffield had been wearing is longer than the 10-inch maximum.

The Mets notified the commissioner’s office, and a representative from disciplinarian Bob Watson’s office came to Shea Stadium on Wednesday and measured a pad that fit the specifications.

Phillips, the Met GM, noticed during the game that Sheffield was still using an extra-long pad and said he pointed it out on video to Watson’s assistant, Matt McKendry, after Sheffield’s tiebreaking grand slam.

McKendry then remeasured the pad at 14 inches. The Braves will likely be fined because of the infraction.

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The St. Louis Cardinals will recall rookie right-hander Travis Smith before this weekend to take the place of Darryl Kile, who died last Saturday. Smith was already in uniform on Thursday and Manager Tony La Russa said, “I know he’s pitching Saturday.” But the team had not made the move official.