With Yo so close to return, Curtis may be benched
Yoenis Cespedes is nearing a return, and that means Terry Collins will be forced to make a decision. But thanks to Curtis Granderson’s prolonged slump, that decision doesn’t appear to be a difficult one.
The Mets remain hopeful Cespedes (hamstring) will rejoin the big-league ball club sometime next week. He is in the second half of “an extended running program,” according to Collins. But the team does not “have a date etched in stone yet.”
When Cespedes does return, Collins will once again have four outfielders for three spots — the other three being Granderson, Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce.
Collins refused to reveal his plan for the outfield when Cespedes come back. But Granderson is hitting just .159 this season, and both Conforto (.322, 11 HR, 27 RBI) and Bruce (.247, 10 HR, 27 RBI) are mashing. Given Conforto’s ability to play center field, it appears as though Granderson’s chances are running out.
Granderson went 0-for3 in Saturday night’s 7-5 win over the Angels. He struck out twice and grounded into a force out with the bases loaded in fifth.
“When he’s in that lineup,” Collins said of Granderson, “we got to get some offensive production out of him.”
Certainly Granderson’s career statistics indicate he will hit better than .159 over the course of 162-game season. He’s also only hit three homers, and his career power numbers suggest he will enjoy a boost in that department, too. But with his numbers so far this season, he hasn’t earned the playing time.
Meanwhile, Conforto continues to be arguably the Mets’ best hitter. He was on base four times Saturday night, scored three runs and scorched an opposite-field double in the fifth inning. He remains in the top-10 in the majors in OPS despite starting the season as a bench player for the Mets.
“(Collins) was honest with me (in the preseason) saying that everything I get, I’m going to have to earn,” Conforto said. “And I was completely ready for that.”
RENE’S RISING
With Travis d’Arnaud sidelined for most of May because of a wrist bruise, Rene Rivera, typically known for his defensive prowess, has emerged as a legitimate offensive threat for the Mets.
Despite an 0-for-3 night Saturday, the 33-year-old Rivera is hitting .308 in extended playing time this season. And Terry Collins expects to play Rivera “as much as possible” even when d’Arnaud returns from the disabled list sometime next week.
“When Travis gets back, we’ll have to make some decisions,” Collins said Saturday. “But obviously, Rene Rivera has earned a spot, has earned a job catching. . . By no means are we going to sit Rene Rivera down and not have him play much anymore. So we just have to pick our spots.”
A REYES MILESTONE
With a single in the bottom of the first inning Saturday, Jose Reyes reached 2,000 hits for his career. He received a standing ovation from the Citi Field crowd.
He’s going to give the ball to his dad.
“That was huge,” Reyes said of the crowd reaction. “That means I did something special today.”
MATZ AND LUGO UPDATE
After each threw around 50 pitches in a rehab game Thursday with Single-A St. Lucie, both Steven Matz (elbow) and Seth Lugo (elbow) will likely make two more minor-league appearances before returning to the Mets, according to Collins.
“We need to probably face a little bit better competition for them so there’s a little bit more of a challenge to see how they come out of those outings,” Collins said.