PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The most anticipated position battle in New York Mets camp is fizzling.
After a quick start, first basemen Ike Davis and Lucas Duda were sidelined with seemingly minor maladies. Davis battled sore calves for the past week, an injury that originally was believed to be minor. However, he showed up to camp March 10 with a walking boot on his right foot, increasing apprehension.
“We were concerned about it,” manager Terry Collins said. “He thought it was something that was going to go away in two days, and here we are five days out and (he’s) still not (recovering) fast.”
Duda was unable to take advantage due to a minor left hamstring strain that forced him out of the lineup. Rather than playing every day, slugging it out in a competition to become the Mets’ starting first baseman, Davis and Duda were sitting on the bench.
Each player started out hot, homering once apiece in the Mets’ first two Grapefruit League games. The competition subsequently stalled.
Now, with less than three weeks left in camp, the Mets have less time to evaluate both players. Davis remains the favorite due to the 32-homer season on his resume (in 2012), and the fact that the Mets declined to trade him when they had the chance last winter. However, his injury is the more serious of the two, meaning he must prove his health in addition to his capabilities as a slugger.
Last year, Davis batted .205 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 317 at-bats. He was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas for three weeks at midseason, and he was shut down for the year at the end of August when he strained his right oblique.
Duda also spent time with Las Vegas last year. He wound up playing 100 games for the Mets and hitting .223 with 15 homers and 33 RBIs.
NOTES, QUOTES
–2B Wilmer Flores started at shortstop March 11 for the first time since 2011, bobbling a ball at the position but making no errors. The Mets will continue to use Flores at shortstop this spring to see if he is still capable of playing his natural position at a high level. The rookie spent most of last year at second base after breaking into the majors in 2012 as a third baseman.
–1B Lucas Duda was unable to take advantage of 1B Ike Davis’ leg injury because he is nursing a sore left hamstring. The Mets expect Duda to play in a minor league game later in the week of March 10-16, perhaps returning to Grapefruit League play by the weekend.
–LHP John Lannan could make the Opening Day bullpen as a reliever after the Mets cut LHPs Josh Edgin and Jack Leathersich early in camp. That leaves Lannan and Scott Rice as the only lefties in camp besides starting pitcher Jon Niese. Lannan is ostensibly also competing for the fifth starter’s job that is likely to go to RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka.
–LHP Jon Niese gave up four runs to the Cardinals on March 11 in his first Grapefruit League outing since the Mets shut him down with left shoulder discomfort. Niese’s velocity started out low, but it reached 89 mph by the second inning. He is on track to start Opening Day.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I don’t shy away from throwing what I’m going to throw normally. That’s my pitch. I’m a fastball pitcher. That’s what I’m going to use. I’m going to use my best pitch.” — RHP Bartolo Colon, on how he approaches his spring outings.