Michael Conforto is batting second and playing center field tonight for the St. Lucie Mets as he begins his rehab assignment. The New York Mets outfielder hasn’t played in a game since being hit on the hand on June 25 against the San Francisco Giants.
Conforto was hitting .285/.405/.548 with 14 doubles, 14 home runs and 41 RBI in 69 games for the Mets when placed on the 10-day disabled list.
He is eligible to return from the DL on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto is eligible to return from the disabled list on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals and he’s confident that he will be able to do so.
Conforto, the Mets lone All-Star representative, is now able to swing a bat without pain and could play in a rehab game tonight for the St. Lucie Mets.
He was struck on his left hand by a pitch from Matt Moore on Sunday, June 25 during the Mets series finale in San Francisco. Conforto was placed on the 10-day DL with a bone bruise six days after getting hit.
“It’s feeling really good,” Conforto told reporters on Wednesday in Washington. “I went through my whole pregame routine today on the field and it went really well.”
The Mets were forced to use infielder T.J. Rivera in the outfield on Tuesday with Conforto and Juan Lagares on the DL as well as Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes being banged up.
Before being placed on the DL, the 24-year-old outfielder took three x-rays and a CT scan to make sure it wasn’t anything more than a bone bruise.
“It’s more just stiff, which is to be expected after not doing anything for a few days,” Conforto said. “But I’m encouraged.”
Both Cespedes and Granderson were in the Mets lineup for Wednesday’s game before it was postponed. The Mets have an off-day Thursday then start a three-game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis on Friday.
