Cabrera making ‘D’ necessary adjustments

Asdrubal Cabrera has been the Mets’ MVP through the season’s first six weeks, but it isn’t all about his plate performance.

The veteran infielder will take a .329/.376/.552 slash line into Tuesday night’s game against the Blue Jays at Citi Field, but manager Mickey Callaway is quick to mention Cabrera’s defense at second base.

“I think he’s made some real good adjustments from what I saw last year, to this year, in the field,” Callaway said. “The balls that in the past that maybe he’s been able to take two steps to catch and throw, I think he realized he may have lost a little bit of range, now he’s diving for those balls, but he’s still making the plays. Maybe if he just went to try and field them he would just miss them, so he’s done a real good job of knowing who he is as a player and being the best he can be.”

Cabrera was moved from shortstop last season and protested the decision, in part because he was concerned it would affect his value on the open market. The Mets picked up Cabrera’s option after the season, originally planning to play him at third base, but the Todd Frazier signing shifted Cabrera to second.

Cabrera, who turns 33 in November, will be a free agent after this season.

“He knows what he is doing at the plate and I am sure he is definitely motivated this year to come in and have a good year, which he should be,” Callaway said.

Jay Bruce will return from three-day paternity leave and is expected back in the starting lineup. But Jerry Blevins could be headed to paternity leave, with his wife due to give birth to the couple’s first child on Tuesday. Dominic Smith returned to Triple-A Las Vegas, clearing roster space for Bruce.

The Mets have a six-game home losing streak. Overall, they have lost eight of their last nine games at Citi Field.