Photo: Serpentineros
Adrian Gonzalez‘s 2017 season was plagued by injury, as the veteran first baseman got into just 71 games.
Coming into camp this week, the 35-year-old feels good and says he has pinpointed how to care for his back after injuring it last year.
“I feel good right now, that’s the main thing,” Gonzalez said Friday morning, according to the New York Daily News. “I think everybody goes into spring training with the mentality you’re going to be healthy all year and so that’s my mentality. Last year I went into spring training with the mentality that my back wasn’t even an issue.
“Hopefully, it won’t be an issue. I think I got a good grasp on how to treat it and how to take care of it. It caught me by surprise in April and I had trouble getting it right from there. This whole offseason it’s been great and I haven’t had any issues or any setbacks, so I feel really good right now and I’m ready to go.”
Over 252 plate appearances last year, Gonzalez hit just .242/.287/.355 with three homers and 30 RBI. However, when asked if he believes he can still be a productive Major Leaguer, he said “absolutely.”
“I think last year obviously it was just kind of like a cross-out year for me,” he said. “But overall, when I was right, I put up pretty good numbers. I think if my body’s right and right now it is, I can go out there and do the things I’ve been able to do in the past, drive in a good amount of runs and have good at-bats.”
Gonzalez was brought in on a Major League contract that will pay him the prorated league minimum and will likely win the job out of Spring Training unless Dominic Smith truly blows everyone away.
“I definitely think he can [be the player of the past],” said new Mets manager Mickey Callaway. “I don’t think we would’ve gotten him if we wouldn’t have thought that.
“I got to play with Adrian [in Texas], I know him well. He’s going to add a ton to our team. He can definitely pick it at first and this guy is a professional hitter.
“He’s going to go out there and give you a tough at-bat, and when you do that, and you have the type of talent he has and the type of experience he has, he can definitely go out there and get the job done for us.”
Gonzalez will look to bounce back and become the player of old, and with the Mets looking to reach the playoffs again, they will definitely take the production.
