Outlook on Lagares now not so o-bleak

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets got some rare good injury news Tuesday. The MRI on Juan Lagares’ left oblique showed no serious damage and Terry Collins is hopeful that the backup outfielder can get in a lineup before the team leaves Florida Thursday evening.

“The MRI came back better than we hoped,” the Mets manager said. “He’s dayto-day and felt a lot better today. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow. We’d sure like to get him in that intrasquad game (Thursday) if possible.”

Lagares said that he felt like the strain was not as bad as the one he suffered on his right side in 2014. He missed 22 games with that one.

Still, oblique injuries can be tricky and linger, so the Mets are going to be careful with him. They would like to get him in the game against the Triple-A team on Thursday so they can decide on whether they have to put him on the disabled list or bring him north.

“One thing we’ve got to consider is the weather. If it’s going to be 45 degrees, that’s a tough thing to keep loose in cold weather,” Collins said. “We’ll just see where he’s at in a day or so.”

Lagares had a very busy spring before he left Saturday’s game with the strain. He played in 17 games, making most of the road trips, and had 42 at-bats (hitting just .190). That along with his experience in the majors gives him enough of a track record that the Mets would feel comfortable taking him north even if he doesn’t get into Thursday’s game.

“He’s certainly got a number of atbats, he only missed a couple of games,” Collins said. “If he says ‘I am OK. I can play,’ We certainly will think about taking him.”

Lagares’ health could affect other decisions the Mets have to make. Without him and Brandon Nimmo (out with a pulled hamstring), Michael Conforto is an obvious choice for the roster. The Mets want the 23-year-old to play every day, but with an outfield already set, his only role would be as a backup outfielder and lefthanded bat off the bench. Initially, the Mets were thinking it would be better to let him play every day in Triple-A and keep Nimmo, who impressed them with his ability to hit off the bench last September. Lagares is slated to be the backup outfielder, a lateinning defensive upgrade and starting for Curtis Granderson against lefthanded pitchers.

MATZ ON THE MEND?

Stephen Matz threw off flat ground for the second straight day Tuesday, racing the clock to get himself back on the mound before the Mets have to make a decision about starting him on the disabled list. The Long Island lefty was scratched from Monday’s start with tenderness in his surgically-repaired left elbow.

The Mets need to see him go about 80 pitches in the bullpen or possibly the intrasquad scrimmage before they can consider taking him north.

“We’ve got to get him on the mound to where he can really start throwing some pitches to see where he’s at,” Collins said. “We certainly have to see how he comes out of it.

“It’s really tough to have that guy, especially early, who’s not going to be able to give you innings,” Collins said. “Because of the workload early in the season, you’ve got to make sure you don’t kill your bullpen.”

ROSTER MOVES

The Mets sent righthander Paul Sewald, who had a solid spring, to Triple-A Tuesday morning. Collins sent him to the minor league complex with a message.

“He had a good spring,” Collins said. “As I told him, he’s the kind of pitcher who really is going to have to locate. We talked about the possibility about coming up with a different pitch to help him out against lefties a little more. He’s going to go work at it . ... I told him When the phone rings, make sure you’re the name they mention, because we’re going to need relief pitching at some point.”

Catcher Kevin Plawecki was also optioned to Triple-A before the game.