Between the time he was signed to a minor league contract in November and the beginning of Spring Training in late February, Dilson Herrera was easily forgotten.
While he was brought back to the organization to serve as infield depth, the Mets followed up by signing more experienced veterans like Danny Espinosa, Ruben Tejada, and Adeiny Hechavarria, who until the last minute had been in the conversation for the major league Opening Day bench.
All three were assigned to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season, however, and Herrera has emerged as the hottest hitter in the lineup. Through five games he’s 7-for-11 with three doubles, a home run, and five runs batted in. The ‘Cuse Mets have been riding his big bat as they’ve now won four in a row.
Dilson Herrera is 6-for-9 with four RBI to start the season after his double gives Syracuse a 1-0 lead in the second inning. #Mets pic.twitter.com/BjrJyFEsTZ
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) April 8, 2019
Herrera spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Cincinnati Reds after the Mets traded him for Jay Bruce at the deadline in 2016. (The other player sent to the Reds, Max Wotell, is currently with the Sussex County Miners of the independent CanAm League.) Shoulder injuries and an unimpressive 53-game stint in the majors in 2018 led to his outright off the 40-man roster at the end of the season.
Now, he’s attempting to get back to the big leagues with the team that gave him his first crack at it in 2014.
Herrera’s advantage over someone like Hechavarria is his age. At 25, Herrera’s performance should be treated as that of an actual prospect who’s finally healthy and has room to grow, unlike the known quantity of Hechavarria who’s hitting well against pitching he should be destroying.
Defensively, the Mets have ran Herrera out primarily at third base, a position he has played in the past but is much less familiar with than his native second base. He’s committed three errors in 11 chances at the hot corner, so the areas of improvement are pretty clear.
Herrera isn’t at the top of the depth chart by any means, but if the current combination of infielders on the major league bench ends up not cutting it, there’s an intriguing option just a short flight away from Citi Field.
Videos via MiLB.com.
