Infielder Jose Reyes will join the New York Mets and be activated before tonight’s game against the Miami Marlins, the team announced on Monday night.
Reyes will wear his previous uniform with the Mets, No. 7, thanks to Travis d’Arnaud who agreed to give up his number to accommodate the former Mets All Star, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
Reyes, 33, was 0-for-4 during his final tuneup for Double-A Binghamton on Monday night, and batted .176 (6-for-34) with one double, three walks and two RBI through 11 minor league games. Reyes played exclusively at third base.
Manager Terry Collins plans to use Reyes as his leadoff hitter. “That’s where he would fit, it’s what he does and who he is.”
“He may not have the same speed he did when he left the Mets in 2011, but he still has got all the ability,” one scout who saw him this spring said. “He can still help that lineup a lot.”
The Mets signed Reyes to a minor league contract for roughly $250,000 on June 25 after he was released by the Colorado Rockies when he completed his suspension for violating the new MLB Domestic Violence policy.
Reyes was arrested in Hawaii for allegedly grabbing his wife and shoving her into a sliding glass door at a hotel in Maui. However, the criminal charges were eventually dropped after his wife refused to cooperate with the prosecutors.
“As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred and remain remorseful and apologetic to my family,” Reyes said in a statement released by the Mets at the time of his signing. “I have completed the counseling required by MLB, have been in ongoing therapy, and will continue with counseling going forward.”
Reyes reached out to David Wright while he was getting ready in the minors about playing third base, and former Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo also tutored Reyes at the hot corner.
While Wright strongly admonished what Reyes did, he believes that he will bring some excitement to the team.
“I can’t say it enough: What he did is something that is horrible and should never be done. So I hope that he’s learned his lesson,’ Wright said.
“He’s going to bring us a ton of energy,” Wright said. “And I think that’s something we can really use is his dynamic on the field — his speed, his charisma, his ability.”
