Update –
Lucas Duda will return to the Mets on Saturday at Citi Field according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. At first, he will be limited to pinch hitting duty. Duda hasn’t played in a game with the Mets since May 20th because of a stress fracture in his back. Lucas is currently on the 60-day disabled list meaning to activate him the Mets would need to open a 40-man roster spot. The obvious move would be to slide Jon Niese from the 15-day DL to the 60-day.
Update from September 9th –
The Mets have announced that Lucas Duda will take live batting practice on Saturday in Port St. Lucie for the first time since his most recent setback with a stress fracture in his back. There is some renewed optimism that Duda could return before the end of the season.
Original Report September 3rd –
The New York Mets are not ruling out a return this season for first baseman Lucas Duda even if it’s only for a bench role, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Duda, 30, recently began swinging a bat for the first time since suffering a setback in his recovery from a stress fracture in his lower back. The Mets expect him to advance to full batting practice as soon as next week.
“We’re working the routine as we would if it were July,” general manager Sandy Alderson told DiComo.
“He either makes it back or he doesn’t. How he’s used if he does make it back is a whole other issue, but we’re proceeding as if it were July or August. We’re not trying to speed it up. We’re not trying to slow it down, especially given his relapse the last time.”
It will be interesting to see how the Mets handle Duda going forward. He currently has a $6.725 million salary and enters his final season of arbitration in 2017. MLB Trade Rumors recently tabbed him as a non-tender candidate.
Duda is currently on the 60 Day DL. He was hitting .231/.297/.431 with seven home runs and 19 RBI before suffering his back injury.
I can’t see the Mets non-tendering him unless he suffers another huge setback that would lead him to miss significant time in 2017.
If Duda is healthy, he is a force in the middle of the lineup and a significant upgrade over what James Loney has provided offensively. Even if he gets a modest raise, despite his injury marred season, to let’s say $8 million in 2017, he still offers the Mets some solid value while keeping the seat warm for the heir apparent Dominic Smith.
