Before Saturday’s afternoon matchup against the Washington Nationals, New York Mets skipper Mickey Callaway spoke to the media.
After telling reporters on Friday that the Mets would be giving outfielder Jay Bruce a good look at first base, naturally, the conversation turned to the players that move would potentially be blocking.
One of those players, along with Dominic Smith and, to a lesser extent, Wilmer Flores, is Peter Alonso, who is tearing up Triple-A since falling into a funk just after his promotion (he’s hitting .304/.386/.664 since June 19 after slashing .100/.238/.271 in his previous 19 games with the 51’s).
Callaway told reporters that “he’s really looking forward to a fun September” adding that Smith would likely be back with the Mets, but wouldn’t confirm if Alonso would also get the nod (via Laura Albanese, Newsday).
When asked about Alonso, Callaway acknowledged that there have been internal discussions regarding his future (Zack Brazillier, New York Post).
“We’ve discussed him, the pros and cons of what we’re trying to do with him, not only this year, but in the future,” he said. “He’s definitely a name we’re discussing.”
Callaway brought up the 23-year-old’s defense as one of the main reasons Alonso hasn’t been called up yet (Albanese, Newsday).
“It’s not just about swinging the bat here. It’s about defense as well,” he said. “We want to make sure he’s in a good spot in his overall game and the things we’re going to value in this organization moving forward.”
Earlier this month, Alonso was named the Triple-A Las Vegas 51’s Defensive Player of the Month for July.
