Ed Delany/MMO
A couple of injured New York Mets got some game action in during an intrasquad game in Port St. Lucie today, as per Tim Healey of Newsday.
Todd Frazier (oblique strain) went 0-for-4 at the plate and spent four innings at third base. Travis d’Arnaud (Tommy John surgery) spent nine innings behind the plate, the first time he’s accomplished that feat since undergoing ulnar reconstruction surgery last April.
Both players are currently on the 10-day injured list without set timetables to return to major-league action.
Frazier, 33, hit .213/.303/.390 with 18 homers, 59 runs batted in, 18 doubles and a 95 OPS+ rating over 472 plate appearances in his first season in Flushing after the Toms River, New Jersey native signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Mets last offseason.
D’Arnaud, 30, got just four games under his belt last season before going under the knife (3-for-15, home run, three RBI), putting an abrupt end to what most saw as a chance for the now-veteran backstop to shine.
After an injury-shortened 2015 campaign that saw him slash .268/.340/.485 over 268 plate appearances, the team and its fans had high hopes for the offensive side of d’Arnaud’s game. Since 2016, the California native has hit .244/.297/.393 over 191 games (668 plate appearances) with an 83 OPS+ rating.
D’Arnaud’s glove is much more heralded than his bat is, though. Since making his MLB debut in 2013, he’s racked up 46.6 framing runs above average, good for ninth in the majors over that time among catchers with over 3,000 innings spent behind the dish.
With Tomas Nido (who’s glove is nothing to scoff at, either) and Rene Rivera both in the mix as potential competition for d’Arnaud’s penciled-in backup stop to Wilson Ramos, it’s more than likely Travis will need to earn his keep to secure the job.
As for Frazier, with the high level of play that Jeff McNeil has shown thus far, the Mets are likely not rushing him back. While he’d likely be an upgrade over J.D. Davis as the alternate third baseman for Mickey Callaway‘s club, things don’t appear in desperate need of a shakeup just yet.
