After an unscheduled day off on Tuesday because of inclement weather in Colorado, the Mets resume their three-game series against the Rockies on Wednesday night.
Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about a number of topics regarding his team.
Catching combo, same lineup
For the second game in a row, catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are in the same lineup with Alvarez hitting eighth as the DH while Torrens does the catching and in the nine spot.
It worked out for New York the first time as the duo played a big hand in the Mets’ 4-2 win, combining to go 2-for-6 with two doubles (back-to-back in the sixth), two runs and an RBI.
Still, it’s pretty uncommon for a team to have both catchers in the same lineup, but Mendoza is doing what he can to maximize his offense in the face of a ton of injuries while losing nothing defensively.
The skipper broke down what went into the decision to have both Alvarez and Torrens in the lineup, saying it’s a combination of a lot of things, including Juan Soto.
“Soto being able to play in the outfield, having a day game tomorrow where there’s a good chance [Soto’s] gonna DH,” Mendoza explained. “Just looking at okay one of the days Avy’s going to catch, Luis’ is going to catch, the righty today, the lefty tomorrow. So there’s a lot that goes into it and I decided to go with the combination again today.”
With Soto back in the outfield after strictly DHing when he returned from the IL with a calf strain, it frees Mendoza up to be a little more creative with his lineups, especially with a shorthanded roster and a team that has struggled to score runs early in the season.
Speaking of Soto, Mendoza was asked about his comfort level with having the superstar play the outfield the same day it snowed in Denver.
“It’s pretty impressive the work they’ve done,” Mendoza said, referring to the grounds crew at Coors Field. “You look at some of the pictures and some of the things that we were looking at earlier today and the outfield, and the field in general, you gotta give those guys a lot of credit.
“But I’ll make sure I go out there and walk it again. But as of right now we feel pretty good [about Soto in the outfield].”
With MJ Melendez (playing right field on Wednesday) also on the roster, the Mets have a third player who has MLB catching experience which also helps them if anything were to happen to one of their main catchers.
So, will this lineup variation become the new norm for New York?
“It depends,” Mendoza said. “… There’s a lot that goes into it but we’ll see.”
Injury updates rapid fire
Jorge Polanco: Off from baseball activities today after running yesterday. Likely won’t need a rehab assignment when he’s ready to play, but Mendoza reiterated that he’s “day-to-day”.
“It’s been like that for a long time, but we’ll see how this continues to progress.
Luis Robert Jr.: Feeling better, but back in New York.
Kodai Senga: Started playing catch today. Feeling a lot better. Process now is to build him back up.
A.J. Minter: Pulled from rehab assignment with left hip discomfort. Neither side is overly concerned.
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