Among the highs and lows to already come out of the first month of this season, the continued improvement of Daniel Murphy has certainly been one of the brighter spots to this point so far.

Playing out of his natural position, Murphy has slowly made the proper adjustments on both sides of the diamond. After being jostled all over both the infield and outfield, Murphy has finally found himself a home at second base with the Mets while also improving significantly with the bat. I caught up with Murphy at Citi Field yesterday and he spoke with me about his strides so far this season.

“I didn’t get a whole lot of work in Spring Training since I was injured” said Murphy regarding his defense. “But I think that having more time there has made me become more consistent, more comfortable, and has given me a better understanding of how to position myself and how much time I have.”

Another Met playing out of his original position is Lucas Duda. What has lacked with his .239 batting average he has made up for in his power and improved ability to get on base. After being sent to Buffalo following an extremely poor first half of 2012, Duda came back showing more plate discipline and emerging as an overall better hitter. Murphy says he has been impressed with how Duda has performed this year.

“He’s been awesome.” said Murphy. “I think Justin Turner said yesterday that ‘Duda really knows how to grind out an AB’ and I have not seen him give many at-bats away this year. That’s kind of a goal we have as an offense personally to not give at-bats away, and he’s been locked in and done a great job of getting on base.”

All the while, Duda has not only had to learn to adjust with the bat, but also with the glove as he learns on the job patrolling left field at Citi. As he has done, Murphy sees the similarities in both of their defensive improvements.

“The same thing as I have at second.” said Murphy. “He’s become more comfortable, he’s starting to understand how to position himself and to read swings. What he’s doing is not easy. It’s very difficult to go from the infield to the outfield and I think he’s done a great job.”

Murphy can relate to attempting to make the transition from the infield to the outfield, although he knows that their results have varied significantly.

“He’s doing better than I did.”

Although the situations are similar, Murphy understands why Duda wouldn’t ask him for advice about making such a transition after his failed outfield experiment.

“No, I don’t know if I’d have anything good to give him.” said Murphy, when asked if Duda has come to him about the transition from infield to outfield. “Try to be as relaxed as you can. Tom Goodwin has done an awesome job with him and a great job with positioning him. I think he does a good job of picking the brain of Marlon Byrd.”

Although the outfield did not work out for Murph, it seems to be suiting Duda in 2013. Murphy in turn has found his niche at second. Both came up with the Mets as talented bats that needed a position other than the corner infield and through several trials and tribulations have both found where they belong for the New York Mets.

I want to thank Daniel Murphy for taking some time during batting practice to speak with me. He’s a terrific guy who really adds a lot to the clubhouse and chemistry of the team. You can see how his teammates respect him as a leader as well as a productive player and integral part of the everyday lineup.

Terry Collins says a lot of things that will raise eyebrows whenever we go to these pre and post game press conferences. Many times he’ll say one thing on Monday and then do the exact opposite on Wednesday.

Just to cite two recent examples remember when he proclaimed Collin Cowgill the everyday center fielder on Opening Day? Cowgill then proceeds to start in just 6 of the next 15 games.

Or how about two weeks ago when Collins said that he didn’t want to move Lucas Duda up in the order because he was a sensitive guy and in a good groove, and didn’t want to upset the apple cart. The next day however, there was Lucas Duda batting cleanup.

You gotta love it.

On more than a few occasions, Terry said he’s toying with the idea of using Justin Turner in the outfield. Yes, that Justin Turner, how many Justin Turners do you know?

In last night’s loss to the White Sox, Turner came in to pinch-hit for LaTroy Hawkins in the eighth inning and delivered a run-scoring single for the Mets’ second run of the night. How clutch has Turner been this season? He’s as automatic as Jordany Valdespin off the bench.

Anyway, to the surprise of many, out goes Justin Turner in the top of the ninth taking over in left field for Lucas Duda who started the game there.

“When you have a guy like Justin Turner, you want to get his bat in the lineup,” Collins said. “We have some guys who are struggling. We can get him in there, but we’ve already experienced enough guys playing out of position up here and its hurt us in the long run.”

Getting Turner’s bat in the lineup on a more regular basis makes a lot of sense despite what our friends at Amazin Avenue think about that. He ended up getting another hit in the game and finished 2-for-2 on the night.

He’s batting .372/.391/.442 in 43 at-bats and the next best hitter on the team is David Wright who is batting 74 points lower with a .298 average.

“I haven’t played outfield much in a ballgame either, so I won’t really know too much until I get that first ball out of the way and then we can go on,” Turner said after the game.

“We had talked about it last homestand, on a double switch all the outfielders had been used already, so I knew it was a possibility it would happen. That’s why I’ve been trying to get out there every day and get some work out there.”

No word yet on if Turner is expected to get a start in the outfield as the Mets begin a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates today, but don’t be shocked if it happens.

Over in left field, Lucas Duda is getting on base and hitting with some serious power. He’s moving up in the order and Davis is moving down.

Assuming Sandy Alderson fulfills his promise and nabs a decent outfielder before the deadline and during the offseason, it’s a safe bet that the front office is going to have to make a decision as to which player is the first baseman of the future.

I think it’s reasonable to say that Ike isn’t going to finish the season with a sub-200 batting average. On the other hand, Duda’s going to come down to Earth at some point. These are two very streaky hitters we’re talking about here, and Ike is having his slump in April for the second season in a row.

But who’s the better player? Who’s the best fit at first if we get a legit outfield bat?

Small sample sizes tend to lead to knee-jerk reactions, and Lucas and Ike haven’t had equal seasons in terms of at-bats and playing time. I went over to Baseball Reference and grouped both Davis and Duda’s plate appearances in batches of 500, spaced out over intervals of 100. In other words, I looked at the stats from plate appearances 1-500, 101-600, 201-700, and down the line for each players career to date. I took four key stats – K%, BB%, HR% and BABIP (batting average on balls in play) – and graphed them to see if there were any trends.

Lets look at Ike’s chart:

The most alarming thing is that Ike’s BABIP has been plummeting. He’s making weak contact and popping up more and more each month. Basically, he’s becoming Adam Dunn without the walks. If his BABIP keeps trending down then we’re going to be seeing a lot of .220 seasons in the future. Lots of home runs are nice, but out of all the players who hit 30 or more homers in 2012, Ike had the second-worst OPS behind Josh Reddick.

Looking over at Duda’s chart, we see that he’s a little more consistent:

His strikeouts and walks are going up, and home run power has remained pretty consistent since he was called up in 2010. For all the talk about his explosive power potential, it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever hit more than 20-25 in a season.

All of these revelations shine a light on the fact that the Mets are stuck between a rock and a hard place at first base. You don’t even need charts or stats to see the Ike is lost at the plate. Every time he faces the pitcher he blinks his eyes like he’s been driving cross-country for thirty-six hours and the Red Bull is wearing off. If I had to choose one, I’d probably pick Duda just to be able to put someone with some range out in left field. At least Duda has a chance to get on base at a respectable pace.

In the meantime, Sandy should add “first base” to his shopping list.

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO reader Eli Brazell. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 16,000 Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

@nymets945 Pill will likely not make next start because of discomfort. Need to find out more about that. He is not on the DL.

— Lynn Worthy (@PSBLynn) April 29, 2013

Vaughn said he felt a sensation in his arm after throwing out runner at plate. Called coming out “precautionary.” #BMets #Mets

— Lynn Worthy (@PSBLynn) April 30, 2013

Hat tip for Lynn Worthy here for updating us on two minor league players, Cory Vaughn and Tyler Pill.

Cory Vaughn left tonight’s game with an undisclosed injury, and Worthy later found out and reported that he may have hurt himself while throwing out a runner from left field. Considering that it is reported as precautionary, we should have nothing to worry about. Vaughn was in the midst of a hot streak, batting .306 over his last three games with three home runs and eight RBIs.

Tyler Pill, on the other hand, was scheduled to pitch tomorrow evening. Worthy went on to note that Pill missing his start did not sound like a big issue up in Binghamton – but rather that they wanted to give him some time off. Pill has been struggling this season, with opposing hitters batting .349 against him and he currently holds an ERA of 7.58 (16 earned runs) in 19.0 innings pitched.

Last night, in the Mets 7-2 loss to the Dodgers, Juan Lagares entered the game in the top of the fifth inning to play center field as part of a double-switch – officially marking his major league debut.

Lagares led off in the bottom half of the fifth with a hard hit fly to the warning track in left field against Dodgers’ ace LHP Clayton Kershaw. In his next at-bat, Lagares singled against left-hander Paco Rodriguez in the seventh for his first major league hit. The first of what I’m sure will be many.

“When I got to the dugout, all my teammates said ‘Congratulations,’” Lagares said. “I really don’t know how to say it, but I am so excited to be here with the team.”

Lagares, 24, was promoted in place of outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was optioned to Las Vegas after hitting .125 (2-for-16).

I appealed to the Mets to call him up only the day before they did after looking at his .346 (27-for-78) in 17 games with Las Vegas. The athletic outfielder started every game in centerfield and had already hit three home runs, three doubles and two triples in his 82 total plate appearances. His .929 OPS was second on the team.

“He’s the future,” Mets manager Terry Collins said before Tuesday’s game. “A great defender. Got some power. There are people in this organization that think he’s a better outfielder than Matt den Dekker. That speaks a lot.”

Initially an infielder, Lagares converted to the outfield in 2009 and has only gotten better according to Wally Backman.

Collins said Lagares will start Wednesday with the Dodgers starting left-hander Ted Lilly.

Welcome to The Show, kid…

Jim Beauchamp (pronounced “Bee-chum”) was one of these players, and after kicking around the league with the Cardinals, the Astros (including some games as a Colt 45), the Braves, the Reds, the Astros again, and the Cardinals again, he wound up his career with the Mets, seeing a little action in the ’72 and ’73 seasons. A right handed hitter, he fulfilled the role of OF/1B, usually getting into between 35-50 games a year, primarily as a bat off the bench. He wore uniform No. 24 at the start of his Met career but swapped it for No. 5 when future Hall of Famer Willie Mays joined the team following a trade during the ’72 season.

He was a country boy, a French Okie, as he called himself, from the tiny town of Vinita, Oklahoma, a town that today boasts a population of around 6,000, parked in the northeast corner of the state about 30 miles from the Missouri border.  As a ballplayer, he pretty much embodied the term “journeyman,” as his peripatetic resume demonstrated. As a Met in 1972, he started 29 games, mostly at first base and chipped in with five home runs for the season. Two of those homers came on a special night.

August 21, 1972 was Beauchamp’s 33rd birthday, and with the Mets facing lefty Jerry Reuss of the Astros that night, Jim was given one of his rare starts, playing first base and batting seventh. The Astros were featuring a hot shot young center fielder in those days by the name of Cesar Cedeno, a 21 year old revelation with speed, power, and a great glove-sort of a right-handed Bryce Harper of his day.

Jon Matlack started for the Mets, looking for his 11th victory.  Matlack would end the season with 15 wins that year, and become the second Met to be named Rookie of the Year, joining Tom Seaver. On this night he pitched well, hurling a complete game with 8 strikeouts, but along the way had somewhat less success holding off Cedeno who homered in the 6th to tie the game at one-all, then doubled in the 8th after the Mets had taken the lead to knot the score again.

The 7th inning go-ahead run for the Mets had come via a long ball off the bat of Jim Beauchamp. Now, heading into the bottom of the 9th tied at 2 apiece, the Mets would face Jim “Sting” Ray, a right hander who was starting his second inning of relief. When Ray retired the first two batters, it looked as if the game would be heading to extra innings. But after John Milner coaxed a walk, Beauchamp swatted his second homerun of the night, deep into the left field bullpen.

Afterwards, on Kiner’s Korner, I remember him telling Ralph that he thought it would be nice if “just once, I could be the hero.” To my ears, his Oklahoma twang made the last word sound like “hee-row.” In my eyes he was. Happy Birthday, Jim.

Previous Mets Memorable Moments

Willie Comes Home

Rusty and the Rundown

Jesse and Roger in the Outfield

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3, Binghamton Mets 1

BINGHAMTON, NY (by Tim Heiman) – With the aid of two late home runs, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats beat the Binghamton Mets 3-1 in the home opener at NYSEG Stadium.

Josh Rodriguez doubled down the left field line in the fourth inning, which got the offense started. After he moved over to third base on a wild pitch, he scored the first run of the game on an RBI fielder’s choice from Cesar Puello. Unfortunately, that was the only crooked number Binghamton would put up all night. New Hampshire starting pitcher Deck McGuire held the B-Mets to just one run on two hits in 7.0 innings on the hill, and earned his first win in 2013.

Binghamton starter Logan Verrett worked his way out of trouble nearly the whole night, but lost the lead after he gave up a solo home run to Adam Loewen in the 7th. Verrett ended the night scattering seven hits and one run over seven innings. In the next frame, Kevin Pillar hit the eventual game-winning two-run home run over the left field wall off of reliever John Church to give New Hampshire a 3-1 lead.

Darrell Ceciliani and Josh Rodriguez both reached base to start the bottom of the ninth, but Fisher Cat closer Chad Beck retired the next three hitters to earn his third save of the season. On the night, the B-Mets tallied just three hits; Rodriguez was responsible for two of them.

The B-Mets (4-3) look to even the series tomorrow night in game two of the four-game series at NYSEG Stadium. RHP Tyler Pill (0-1, 7.20) will start for the B-Mets against RHP Tyson Brummett (0-0, 0.00).

Key Stats:

• Josh Rodriguez - 2-for-4, R, 2B
  
• Cesar Puello - 0-for-4, RBI
• Logan Verrett - 7.0 IP, 7 H, BB, ER, 3 K

Sand Gnats 5, Green Jackets 6

The Sand Gnats jumped out to an early lead over the Augusta Green Jackets in last night’s contest. They started off the game with three straight hits and jumped out to a two run lead in the first inning. Chad Zurcher led off the game withe a double, and was quickly driven in on a line drive base hit to left field by Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo advanced to second base on an errant pick-off attempt, and then Jayce Boyd drove him in on a base hit to center field.

The Gnats added another run in the third inning and were able to hold that lead until the seventh. Gnats starter Logan Taylor had a very strong outing, pitching five innings, giving up no runs on four hits. He struck out five batters and walked none. Matthew Koch came in to relief and picked up right where Taylor left off in the fifth inning. However, the seventh inning was another story. Augusta scored all six of their runs in the seventh, but only one run was credited as an earned run. The weird thing is, Koch was the player who made the error that led to five unearned runs. Koch picked up the loss after surrendering six runs on four hits.

Zurcher had a great day at the plate, smacking two doubles and driving in two runs. He brought his average up to .294 on the season. Nimmo showed off his wheels in the fifth inning, beating out a throw to earn a bunt base hit. It was Nimmo’s fourth multi-hit game, and he now has a hit in every game this year. Kevin Plawecki had a quiet night, and it was his first game this year where he didn’t get a hit.

The most impressive stat of the night is credited to the Gnats pitching staff, who did not walk a single Augusta batter.

Key Stats

• Chad Zurcher - 2 for 4, R, BB, 2 2B, RBI
• Brandon Nimmo – 2 for 4, R, BB, RBI
• Jayce Boyd - 1 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 BB
• Logan Taylor – 5 IP, 4H, 0 R, 5 K

Guess who’s jazzed about the Mets so far? This guy is.

The Mets won the first two series of the season 2-1 against the Padres and the Marlins—including a furious 9th-inning rally yesterday. Maybe not the most stellar competition, but the team has shown the range of its capabilities.

In the first couple games, the Mets’ offense exerted its dominance as well as its starting pitching. In the latest win, the bullpen was solid and the team rallied back from two down in the 9th to win the game 4-3.

Here are some specifics I’ve taken away this week:

• Before the season, I mentioned that John Buck was an interim catcher at best. He was a stopgap until Travis d’Arnaud was ready to be called up. Man, is Buck shoving my foot into my mouth now. Buck took yesterday’s game off and is still leading the NL in RBIs in the early going with nine. More importantly, he looks like a different player. His approach at the plate has improved and his bat speed has increased. He knows how to call a game, something the Mets lacked at the catching position last year. He seems to have embraced his role as the experienced journeyman. D’Arnaud will get called up at some point. Him and Buck look like a good one-two punch.
• Matt Harvey deals. Period. What more can you ask for in a season debut than seven innings of one-hit ball and 10 strikeouts? Even though it’s early in his career, this could be the season where people outside the Mets bubble ask, “Have you seen that guy Harvey who pitches for the Mets?” Harvey is turning into one of those dependable-every-fifth-day arms. Whenever he’s on the mound, you anticipate a win.
• The bullpen looked sharp yesterday, but Bobby Parnell, Scott Atchison and Brandon Lyon have looked the best. It’ll be interesting to see what the Mets do with Frank Francisco when he comes off the DL. Parnell looks like he has the 9th sewn up. I usually judge closers by how grizzly their beards are. Parnell is turning into a legitimate closer in that respect. His pitch location has also improved since last season so far. Atchison and Lyon look like they’ll be the setup men—Lyon in the 7th, Atchison in the 8th and Parnell in the 9th.
• Lucas Duda looks lost in left field. He’s taking bad routes to balls. Even when he takes a good route, he’s just too slow to get there. If he doesn’t make up for it at the plate, I fear he’ll lose his job.
• I couldn’t write something without mentioning Ego Grande himself, Jordany Valdespin. ‘Spin had a solid game in Friday’s loss. He got on base four times with two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He played sound defense in center field too. Keith Hernandez even complemented him on his “fundies” after he helped gun down Placido Polanco at home plate. With a few more quality offensive and defensive games, he could muscle someone out of a starting job. I’d like to see an outfield where Valdespin and Collin Cowgill are starting every day.

What are your thoughts on the Mets start?

First off, I’d like to start this post by congratulating Collin Cowgill. The man had a great Spring Training and a smashing Mets  debut. He deserves to be a part of the Mets outfield in 2013. I look forward to watching him.

“It’s a special day. My first time being in an Opening Day lineup. A lot of jitters but it’s exciting. The fans were unbelievable. Beautiful day for that,” Cowgill said. “It was an exciting day and Jon Niese, what a game for him. Just an outstanding day for us and we’re looking forward to keeping this going.”

Secondly, I’d like to congratulate Lucas Duda on retaining his position in left field. It looked bleak at the start of Spring Training. He got back on track and proved enough to win his spot back.

Thirdly, I’d like to congratulate Marlon Byrd for putting Father Time in a headlock – for the moment. No one expected Byrd to produce like he has. He’s proved that he has the will to continue playing.

Fourthly, I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to Jordany Valdespin for not separating himself enough from these candidates to earn himself an everyday spot.

I’m kind of confused with the flip-floppyness that has come from Terry Collins. First he said:

“Right now, the way Valdespin has been swinging the bat in that spot, we’re leaning towards him.”

Collins then confirmed yesterday that he will use a regular outfield of Lucas Duda in left field, Collin Cowgill in center field and Marlon Byrd in right field.

I’m confused. I’m not sure what happened within the span of a little more than a week, but apparently, it was enough to warrant throwing Valdespin back on the bench. Obviously, I’m not the utmost expert on things that happen in the locker room. Maybe a new attitude issue arose. Maybe he hurt himself. I suppose it’s possible I’m missing something. I just don’t buy that “he isn’t good enough defensively” to play every day. Is the solution to keep him on the Major League squad just to leave him on the bench and not play a position?

At any rate, it will be interesting to see how Valdespin deals with this decision. Will he revert back to his old antics or continue to be the changed man Collins said he had become? Time will tell. I hope that people will recognize how frustrating this might be for ‘Spin.

It’s worth noting that Collins is in the last year of his contract. He reminds me of Art Howe in Moneyball where Howe keeps playing Carlos Pena at first base because he’s trying to maintain his reputation and get a future job someplace else. So instead of fitting Valdespin in the lineup every day, he’s going to play Byrd because that’s the safer move. With all due respect to Byrd, he has no place in the Mets’ future. I don’t know why he’s an everyday starter now.

This post isn’t meant to downplay anything these outfielders have done. I think there’s a good competition going on. I just wish Collins hadn’t made such a pusillanimous move. This team’s mantra has been to harvest its young talent to be competitive in the future. I just don’t see how playing Byrd everyday fits into that equation.

What becomes of Valdespin now?

The Opening Day Lineup will look like this:

1. Collin Cowgill, CF
2. Daniel Murphy, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Ike Davis, 1B
5. Marlon Byrd, RF
6. Lucas Duda, LF
7. John Buck, C
8. Ruben Tejada, SS
9. Jon Niese, LHP

Niese will oppose San Diego Padres right-hander Edinson Volquez at 1:10 PM at Citi Field.

Collins said that center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis has officially made the Mets active roster as the fourth outfielder along with Mike Baxter.

He also admitted that Cowgill will not be platooned and will be there every day even against righthanded pitching.

Lucas Duda will man left field on a regular basis and Marlon Byrd will start everyday in right field.

So expect to see Duda, Cowgill and Byrd start every game this season unless something changes. That is essentially the 2013 outfield for the season going forward.

Nieuwenhuis is expected to be the defensive replacement for Duda late in games, while Baxter will give Byrd an occasional break now and then to keep the 35-year old fresh.

It was later learned that the reason Jordany Valdespin was not considered for playing time in the outfield was because the Mets were not comfortable with his fielding. Spin was one of the top hitters in camp this spring, but for now all he’s earned was a spot on the back of the bench to pinch-hit against right-handers.

Quote of the Day

“You look up and down our roster, you’re not going to see a lot of household names, you’re not going to see a lot of flash or that sexiness per se, but I think you got a room full of guys that don’t have those egos, that know how to play team baseball. We practiced that this spring, playing that winning, team baseball and unselfishness. I think the teams that do well are the teams that have bought into that team concept where it’s that win at all costs, who cares who gets the big hit, who cares how many hits you get. Bottom line is wins and I think we have a group of guys that have bought into that.” – David Wright

MMO will have about ten writers at Citi Field and we’ll be Live Blogging the event from the press box as well as featuring tweets, images and thoughts from the rest of the staff in attendance.

Stick with us for all the action and Lets Go Mets!

Mets manager Terry Collins was a guest on WFAN this afternoon and lets just say that his whole demeanor about outfielder Jordany Valdespin has done a complete 180. Collins said that Valdespin is the leading candidate to hit in the leadoff spot for the Mets on Opening Day and whenever the Mets are facing a righthanded pitcher.

“Right now, the way Valdespin has been swinging the bat in that spot, we’re leaning towards him,” Collins told Mike Francesa. “As of right now, that’s what we’re looking at.”

Valdespin has been scorching the ball and in 14 games he is hitting .341/.386/.634 with four home runs and eight RBIs. Spin has struck out just twice all spring.

“He’s really worked at the pitch selection,” Collins said. “He’s got a nice idea at the plate, he makes pitchers work. He can bunt for a hit and he can hit a homer. He’s not getting very many easy, first-pitch fastballs.”

Collins even went as far as saying that he has become a threat to take the starting left-field job from Lucas Duda if he continues to produce. Wow…

“His whole demeanor has been a great surprise,” Collins said.

“I just think that, probably, there was some place along the line — maybe at the end of last year — where I know David Wright had a conversation after the guys cut up his shirt and he got upset. I know David took him out and kind of settled him down, and maybe he’s grown up a bit, because he’s certainly been impressive down here.”

Sandy Alderson said adding a difference-maker or two would be his offseason goal for the 2013 season. While it seems he came up short in that department, maybe Omar Minaya left him one in Jordany Valdespin.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that the team’s biggest headache—Jason Bay—has been sidelined for nearly three weeks with a broken rib.

Bay has been cleared to resume baseball activities and will be heading to Port St. Lucie this Thursday. Terry Collins told reporters after last night’s game that Bay will play in minor league rehab games before joining the big club.

However, back to the idea of team chemistry, what happens when Bay returns?

Kirk Nieuwenhuis has been a breath of fresh air both offensively and defensively in his first Major League action. He’s already been displaced from his natural center field position with the return of Andres Torres. Torres has been on a hot streak since returning, so no one has argued with Collins decision to move the youngster to left.

But with Bay heading back, who’s the odd man out in the outfield? Lucas Duda is starting to find his stroke, and once again Nieuwenhuis and Torres are playing well.

Frankly, Bay should be the odd man out. While he showed a little bit of pop through his first 50 at-bats, he also struck out 17 times—many of which with runners on base.

Maybe the solution here is to set up a platoon with Bay, Duda and Captain Kirk. Against righties, Duda and Kirk play—no questions asked. But against a tough lefty, Bay can spell one of the young left-handed hitters.

Duda actually is hitting .306 this season against lefties and just .230 versus righties. Nieuwenhuis meanwhile has struggled against southpaws, hitting just .176.

Though Bay is making an incredible amount of money compared to Kirk, winning baseball games is the team’s priority. If Bay shows in his time against left-handers that he’s healthy and can be consistent with the bat, he will get his share of playing time.

But what would sending Niuwenhuis back to the minors after a great showing do to the young man’s confidence? He played his heart out over the last month and a half and gets rewarded with a demotion…it doesn’t seem fair.

It would be useless to have Kirk sit on the bench when he could be further developing in Triple-A. If Collins is committed to a platoon however, Kirk would still get enough playing time to stay fresh.

Let’s see how this situation plays out. I hope Bay comes back tearing the cover off the ball—giving Collins the difficult decision of what to do with Kirk. That would mean Bay is hitting and driving in runs, helping the team win and finally earning his paycheck.