Lineup ‘puzzle’ just got harder to solve
HELLO, Jose. Goodbye, momentum — and the baseball thanks to the mighty Giancarlo Stanton.
A much older Jose Reyes is back with the Mets at Citi Field, but what does that really mean to a lineup that had caught fire?
Will Reyes help or be a hindrance at the age of 33?
Reyes got off to a slow start Tuesday night in the Mets 5-2 loss to the Marlins before 29,477 fans, who welcomed Reyes back with open arms, cheering for him at every turn. Stanton crushed two monstrous home runs to drive in all five runs as the Marlins snapped the Mets’ f ivegame winning streak.
Reyes went 0-for-4, seeing only 11 pitches. He admitted he was nervous, saying “It felt like my f irst game in the big leagues.’’
It was his first game back after a horrendous domestic-violence incident last October in Hawaii that led to Reyes being suspended for 52 games to start this season. The charges were dropped because Reyes’ wife did not cooperate with prosecutors.
Reyes was released by the Rockies and is back with the Mets where he started his career, but is now at third base after playing only 11 minor league games for the Mets. He also played nine games for the Rockies’ Triple-A team, but his swing is not there yet.
“We’ve got another piece of the puzzle,’’ Terry Collins said. “And this piece should help us.’’
So what’s the plan? “There is no plan yet,’’ Collins said.
The plan should be: Don’t mess up the good thing the Mets had going of late.
The puzzle is more difficult to put together with Reyes, who is likely to be slotted into the lineup at third base and bat leadoff — with Wilmer Flores sliding to other positions. Flores played second Tuesday night.
Flores did not seemed thrilled with the change, saying he had not talked to Collins about the change.
“We’re here to win,’’ said Flores, who caught fire at third, batting .350 the previous five games but was 0-for-4 Tuesday.
In t hos e f ive s t ra i g ht wins, the Mets scored 40 runs. This appeared to be an offense that was putting it together in a big way mainly because Yoenis Cespedes is back to being an unstoppable force.
Cespedes homered again, his 21st in the fourth. But that — and a Alejandro de Aza pinch-hit homer in the eighth — was all for the Mets’ offense.
Sure, the Mets could use more speed, but Reyes cautioned Mets fans not to expect too much.
“People have to understand, when I was here, I was the guy who was stealing 60 bases,” Reyes said. “Now I’m 33. But I can still run a little bit. Like I said, people don’t get too crazy. Right now I’m a little bit
of a different player.”
In his final at-bat, a ground out to short, Reyes did not move all that fast down the line, but this is essentially Reyes’ spring training. He will need time to get major league middle-of-the-season ready. Reyes was excited to be back: “I feel like I’m home,’’ he said.
“I was a little anxious, I will settle down,’’ Reyes said. “I didn’t know what to expect when I came here, to see the crowd react like that was good. They showed me a lot of love.
“I know there are going to be some people who are going hate me, I understand that I put myself in that situation,’’ he said, regarding the domestic-violence incident. “I went to counseling, I am open to continue to do that.’’
When Reyes, wearing his old No. 7, came onto the field to warm up a half hour before the game he was cheered with chants of “Jo-se! Jo-se! Jo-se!” He was cheered again during introductions and when he came to the plate to lead off the bottom of the first he got a standing ovation. He tipped his helmet to the crowd and struck out swinging on three pitches and was cheered again.
“He’ll calm down and get into the flow,’’ Collins said.
For Reyes to stay at the top of the lineup, he has to get on base and score runs. That’s the plan.