New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda is in the lineup today for the first time this spring, he is batting sixth and playing first base in the 1:10 PM game against the Houston Astros.
Duda received a cortisone injection in each of his hips last week after reporting to the team that he had soreness in his back and hips after taking batting practice. He was then cleared to resume hitting on Tuesday.
The left-handed hitting slugger played just 47 games in 2016 as dealt with a stress fracture in his back. In that limited time he hit only .229/.302/.412 with seven home runs and 23 RBI.
Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith have seen the bulk of the playing time at first base with Duda out. Jay Bruce and Neil Walker also took ground balls at the position.
