Jay Bruce started his second straight game with the St. Lucie Mets tonight – this time at first base as he continued his rehab from hip and back problems that had kept him off the field for nearly two months.
Out of the three spot (right behind David Wright in the batting order), Bruce went 2-for-4 with two groundouts and two bloop singles. He also fielded a pop fly and two grounders at his position – including an assist on a force play at second – in seven innings there.
Bruce is expected to start tomorrow as the team’s designated hitter before “alternating back and forth” between first base and right field, as described by manager Mickey Callaway,
“We want to see him at first to evaluate where we’re at this offseason for acquisition purposes,” Callaway added. “All along, we kind of knew that was in the future. We’re just not sure how soon that’s going to be.”
“Obviously it has been talked about a lot, and however they want to use me is fine. I have taken ground balls down here and I have taken fly balls down here, so I will be as ready as I can to do both,” Bruce told reporters following his first rehab appearance the night before. “I think they will figure out what works best and I will probably play first base and right field.”
The expectation remains that Bruce will have completed his rehab assignment in time for an activation a week to two weeks from now, as first reported by the New York Post‘s Mike Puma. Bruce, who has hit just .212/.292/.321 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 62 games, will likely get playing time both on the dirt and in the grass as he and the Mets attempt to bounce back from a dismal first season in a three-year, $39M contract – even if the chances come at the expense of younger players like Dominic Smith and Peter Alonso.
