There’s about to be playing time for the Mets. But it looks like JD Davis won’t be the one to be on the bench.
His best offensive performance in the weeks leading up to Sunday could not have hurt his case.
The Mets third baseman drove in four runs and scored for the first time in more than a month as the Mets avoided a four-game sweep in Los Angeles with a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers.
With Javier Baez returning to training on Sunday and Francisco Lindor hoping to return sometime earlier in the week, manager Luis Rojas has some decisions to make. Baez will play second baseman and Rojas suggested he will move Jeff McNeil to different locations. However, it doesn’t look like McNeil is pushing Davis on the bench.
“It won’t be done in stone, but as you can see, McNeil has played on the left field today. He’s going to spend some time on the left field,” said the Mets manager, who noted that a split at this location between McNeil and Dominic Smith is a possibility. “JD in the third has done a good job defensively. He has come a long way, so we want to keep him there, where he is doing very well, and include his bat in the center of the training ”.
The Mets obviously need offense and Davis at least showed his potential at the end of the road trip after not having delivered in base-laden situations the previous two days.
Davis stroked an opposing field single in the Mets ’first three-lane inning and added a two-run key shot in the seventh, his first homer since July 17th. He also drew a base-laden walk in the ninth. after falling behind 0-2. The four RBIs were two less than I had accumulated throughout the month. He’s been getting his hits, but he’s not driving the ball. Part of this could be attributed to injury problems with the left hand.
Davis tore two ligaments in his hand (including one of his bones) in an oscillation in late April and did not return until mid-July. Davis told Mike Puma of The Post in early August that doctors said his hand is 90-95%, and that there will be swelling that could inhibit his swing. He struggled to get high speed balls, though he turned around a 95 mph Phil Bickford heater for his team.
“It was closer to the ground, it was as if it wasn’t so high [with his swing] and just got the barrel to the ball, “Rojas said.” It’s good to see the fit. “
Davis ’big day came at an important time for the Flat Line Mets, who are on the way to despair after falling seven games behind the Braves in the NL East. It was also imperative that Davis produce if he wants to continue training.