Dil-ly, Dil-ly! Herrera returning to Mets

The Mets are bringing back a familiar face.

It’s far from the big splash fans are waiting for, with rumors about the Robinson Cano deal swirling, but on Thursday the club announced it was signing infielder Dilson Herrera to a minor league contract.

The 24-year-old spent last season with the Reds, hitting .184 in a career-high 53 games. The Mets sent Herrera to Cincinnati in 2016 in the first deal that brought Jay Bruce to Flushing.

In Queens, Herrera was mostly a second baseman and hit .215 in 49 games over two seasons. He’s a lifetime .203 hitter with 11 home runs and 28 RBI in the majors.

Herrera was once a heralded prospect for the Mets who never panned out. He was signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent in 2010 as a teenager, and the Mets traded for him in a deal that sent John Buck and Marlon Byrd to Pittsburgh.

Herrera returns to Flushing, coincidentally, at a time when Bruce could be on his way out. It often seems like extended deja vu for the Mets, as players come and go and return, rarely making much of an impact.