PLATE SHIFT
Amazin's to lean on Rivera as ailing d'Arnaud recovers
PITTSBURGH — For now the Mets have no illusions about receiving significant offensive production from their catchers.
As Travis d’Arnaud sits on the disabled list with a strained rotator cuff that is limiting him to designatedhitter appearances at Single-A St. Lucie, manager Terry Collins has decided the best course of action is to let veteran Rene Rivera handle most of the catching duties, with Kevin Plawecki on the bench.
Rivera was going to be in the starting lineup for the fourth time in five games on Monday, when the Mets’ series opener against the Pirates was postponed because of rain. And it wasn’t Rivera’s .179/.289/ .333 slash line that appealed to Collins.
“We are in a situation with our young pitching staff that I like he can slow down the running game a little bit,” Collins said, referring to the fact Rivera had nailed 6-of-14 (43 percent) runners attempting to steal against him.
The Mets had big hopes this season for Plawecki, but the second-year catcher has struggled offensively and isn’t on the same level defensively as Rivera, whom the Mets acquired during spring training as an insurance policy.
D’Arnaud is expected to get behind the plate in minor leagues games next week, perhaps leaving him in position to rejoin the Mets in 10-14 days. The injury-prone catcher has been on the disabled list since April 26, after missing most of last season.
But even with d’Arnaud’s injury history — he has had three extended DL stints over the last two years — the Mets have no plans to look for a catcher on the trade market, according to a club source.
The belief within the organization remains strong the 27-year-old d’Arnaud will return and bolster a lineup that entered play 13th in the NL with 207 runs scored.
“He’s a big piece,” Collins said. “When you talk about what we’ve done against left-handed pitching, Travis d’Arnaud has got pretty good numbers against left-handed starting pitching, so that is a pretty large chunk out of our lineup.”
Plawecki has been a disappointment. Known mostly for his offensive production in the minors, the 25-year-old entered play with a .200/.304/.280 slash line and had brain cramps in his previous start, Saturday against the Marlins, when he went for a tag play at the plate with the bases loaded. Plawecki missed the tag and the plate, allowing a run to
score. A halfinning later Plawecki was picked off second base.
Behind the plate Plawecki has thrown out a respectable 9-of-32 (28 percent) runners attempting to steal, but he isn’t Rivera.
Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, both of whom lag in their deliveries, have benefited the most from Rivera.
But Matt Harvey’s recent resurgence, in which he has allowed just one run over his last 14 innings, has also occurred with Rivera behind the plate.
“I always care about what I do behind the plate, how my pitcher reacts when I am behind the plate,” Rivera said. “That is one thing that I guess is keeping me around baseball.
“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea about our staff and every day you learn something, but the main thing is I know what they like to do in different situations and it’s good I could pick it up that quick.”