FLOR' PLAN
Wilmer to play all over field to get ABs
PORT ST. LUCIE — It was Friday. Or Wilmer Flores gets to play first base day.
And don’t confuse it with the other days of the week, such as Wilmer goes to the outfield day, or Wilmer plays on the left side of the infield day. The Mets’ human version of Spackle — you got a hole, he can fill it and look good with a little buffing — is thankful Wilmer catches or pitches days never make the calendar.
But Flores’ versatility that allows him to play anywhere in the infield plus now the outfield, too, should make coming to work an adventure. Flores is getting the opportunity because of his offense, which manager Mickey Callaway wants to use.
“The best thing is not to think about it. Just go out and wherever you play, catch the ball and throw the ball,” Flores, who has hit .340 this spring with three homers, said after the Mets’ 5-1 loss to the Cardinals at First Data Field “You can’t have too much information about every position. You have to know it but if you can’t keep thinking, like ‘I’m not ready to play because I haven’t had enough reps at that position.’ No. Stop thinking about it. Just go out and do your job.”
Other than playing the outfield, which Flores has done this spring, the plan really is similar to past years. But it seems as if Callaway is more determined to keep Flores’ bat in the lineup regularly.
“That’s what I want. I want to be out there. At the beginning of spring training, I told him I’m willing to do whatever to stay out there and he can count on me to play wherever,” Flores said, noting the shifting positions are “kind of what it has been the last two years for me.
“I’m getting used to it. He has good communication with the players and he’s going to let me know where I’m going to play the next day. That’s good, so you get prepared for games.
“I’ve been preparing in spring training and in the offseason to play anywhere. I took ground balls everywhere. Mentally I know how to play those positions.”
Callaway has stressed the need to find at-bats for Flores, whom he said he would feel comfortable starting in the outfield. Callaway would like to plot Flores’ workload in advance.
“We’ll map it out four, five days in advance when we have the matchups and we know who’s pitching,” Callaway said. “It’s not just, ‘Oh, where’s the one spot we can play Wilmer the next three days?’ It’s going to be, ‘Hey, he needs to play these two out of three.’ ”