Respite for slumping Conforto
The Mets’ streakiest batter has looked like two different hitters in recent weeks.
Michael Conforto showed signs Tuesday of breaking out of the cold stretch that had ensnared him of late after his hottest streak of the season. He went 2-for-4 in the Mets’ 12-5 loss to the Braves, with his second-inning double marking his first extra-base hit since July 19.
Coming into Tuesday, the outfielder was 2-for-22 in his last seven games, a slump that manager Luis Rojas attributed to Conforto’s timing at the plate.
“It’s been so on and off,” Rojas said before the game. “He’s just not getting to a point where his hands need to get when he’s loading. It’s a timing thing. He did it in one at-bat and then he didn’t do it in the other. It caused him to rush to the ball and not being able to recognize secondary pitches or be late on fastballs.”
Conforto looked as if he were turning a corner in his disappointing season with a hot fivegame stretch going into and coming out of the All-Star break. He hit 8-for-21 with four home runs, helping boost a Mets offense that looked to be finally starting to live up to its potential.
Still, he closed Tuesday with a slash line of .209/.336/.345.
“If he gets his hands into a good position and his loading mechanism, I think he’s going to do some damage,” Rojas said. “He does it one at-bat and not the other. He’s in a little bit of an inconsistent mode right now.”
➤ David Peterson underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal on his right foot, according to his Instagram. The right-hander initially went on the 10-day injured list July 1 with a strained oblique that was expected to cost him up to eight weeks. Then he suffered the freak foot injury, which led to his transfer to the 60-day IL and put his season in jeopardy.
➤ Brandon Drury, who was double-switched into Tuesday’s game in the fourth inning, went 3-for-3 with a tworun home run. … Dominic Smith, who came out in the double switch as starter Jerad Eickhoff was pulled, is fine, according to Rojas.
➤ To make room for Eickhoff, who was re-signed for Tuesday’s start, the Mets optioned Travis Blankenhorn to Triple-A Syracuse and designated Roel Ramirez for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.