Mets get extra hand with Davis coming off injured list

DENVER — J.D. Davis didn’t miss much after he was placed on the injured list with a left-hand contusion. In fact, he only missed six Mets games while recovering from his hit-by-pitch that occurred during the second game of the season.

Davis started at third base in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Colorado. He went 1 for 3. He was not in the starting lineup for the second game.

The Mets entered Saturday hoping their so-far disjointed schedule is finally behind them. The team has only played six of its nine scheduled games since Davis was injured. The Mets were greeted to two rainouts during their first homestand of the year, then a snowout in Denver on Friday.

“With all these rainouts, it’s unbelievable,” Davis said. “It’s fortunate enough not to miss that many games, but it is unfortunate that the group of guys in there getting days off here and there, it kind of sucks and leads up to doubleheaders later on in the season.”

Davis was drilled by a Chase Anderson fastball on April 6, during the team’s opening series in Philadelphia. There was a loud crack sound after the pitch struck his hand, and Davis immediately crouched down in pain. X-rays on his left hand showed no broken bones, besides some swelling from his bruise.

Davis spent the minimum time on the IL before his Saturday return. He batted seventh and started at third in Game 1 of the Mets’ doubleheader against the Rockies. Davis didn’t get the opportunity to face live pitching before Saturday. Instead, he participated in a variety of drills — standing in during bullpen sessions, hitting off the team’s pitching machine and virtual reality — that simulated game-speed.

Davis previously felt the discomfort in his left hand while taking swings during his last 10 days of recovery. He said, over the last half-week, his hand has progressed well, which allowed him to take batting practice with the team. He was able to handle ground balls and practice his defense sooner than taking hacks at the plate.

“I haven’t been feeling anything,” Davis said. “I’ve been squeezing the glove pretty well out there on defense. Actually, swinging the bat probably came last in all stages of getting ready. Taking ground balls, playing catch, all pretty much came quicker than swinging a bat.”

Backup infielders Luis Guillorme and Jonathan Villar filled in for Davis at third while he mended his bruised hand. Guillorme batted .300 (3-for-10) with four walks and a run scored in four games at third base, while Villar notched a couple of RBI in his stints at the hot corner.

Davis said he expects to be a little rusty at the plate until he gets a handful of at-bats and a few games under him. Mets manager Luis Rojas outlined more of a fluid situation in terms of how many games Davis will start off the bat, fresh from his injury. The skipper said he’ll see how Davis is responding, while also wanting to play the hot hand and look to keep giving Guillorme and Villar some at-bats to keep them active.

“JD, his quality at-bats, his power, he’s got a lot of hitting ability. We know that,” Rojas said. “He’s gotten a lot better at third. We’re excited that he’s back.”

CARRASCO UPDATE

Carlos Carrasco (right hamstring strain/tear) is still ramping up at the Mets’ Port St. Lucie facility.

Rojas said the right-hander recently threw four innings and the Mets are still deciding whether he needs to face competition before flying to the alternate site in Brooklyn or joining the team. His activation to the big-league roster does not yet seem imminent.

“He’s throwing, he’s doing well,” Rojas said. “He’s progressing and he’s doing everything else from running, fielding his position, and he’s gonna throw again. … We’re just looking at how he responds after he throws and how he feels. But right now, everything is going well.”

DOUBLEHEADER ADVANTAGE

Rojas said on Saturday he has thought about how the Mets’ abundance of doubleheaders could actually help the team. The Mets entered Saturday with eight seven-inning games remaining on their 2021 schedule. With the starting rotation off to a solid start (2.34 ERA through eight games) and the bullpen one of the team’s weakest areas, seven innings is a reasonable threshold for starters to pitch deep into games.

“We have guys that have gone the distance already a few times,” Rojas said. “I think our defense is a lot better this year. It’s helped the pitchers have more confidence to induce more contact and have a low pitch count later in the game. The [doubleheaders] could benefit us.”