Picture courtesy of James Farrance Photography
Rehabbing third baseman Todd Frazier continued his recovery process on Sunday, playing in his second game with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets after playing 11 games for High-A St. Lucie.
He got the start at the shortstop, his fourth start at the relatively unfamiliar position of this rehab assignment, and first since he got moved to Syracuse. He played the first four innings of the game there without a ball being hit to him. Then to start the fifth, he switched positions with Adeiny Hechavarria, moving back to his natural position at third.
In that fifth inning, Frazier was unable to make the play on a slow roller that he took too long to transfer. Former Mets farmhand Bryce Brentz just barely beat it out for an infield single. There was nothing mechanically wrong with Frazier however and he looked fine fielding a routine ground ball in the next inning. Health wise, Frazier looks ready to come back.
On the offensive side, he went 0-for-2 with a walk after going 2-for-3 in his first game with Syracuse. He hit only .216 in limited time with St. Lucie, but he’s just wiping off a little bit of rust after not having played in awhile and not having gotten a true Spring Training.
Frazier looks to be nearing a return very soon, which will be a very big help to the Mets’ depth. He will be an emergency shortstop if absolutely necessary, as well as providing good insurance for if or when J.D. Davis stops hitting. He is the Mets’ best defensive option at the hot corner, so he will be a very welcome addition even if he is coming off the bench most of the time, as Jeff McNeil will probably still get the bulk of the playing time.
Whether or not Davis keeps up his solid start could play a big role in how much playing time Frazier gets. Regardless, it will be nice to have his veteran presence year-to-year consistency, and strong defense back on the roster.
