Last month, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he is eyeing a May 1 return for slugger Michael Conforto.
The 24-year-old suffered a torn posterior capsule in his left shoulder back in August and went under the knife shortly after.
However, with the surgery a major one, the recovery process is long. According to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, Conforto is down in Port St. Lucie, but has yet to pick up a bat and swing. He is unsure when he will be able to do so.
“Would it be the worst thing in the world to miss the first few games or first week or so? Yeah, I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world but I definitely want to be out there,” Conforto said in December. “We’ll see what happens.”
Conforto appeared in 109 games for the Mets in 2017, hitting 27 homers and driving in 68 runs while hitting to a .279/.384/.555 clip in 440 plate appearances. Overall on the season he was a 3.6 bWAR and 4.4 fWAR player with a very robust 145 OPS+.
Showcasing his versatility, Conforto wasn’t a liability in the field either as he was good for a 2.9 UZR/150 and -2 defensive runs saved in 818 2/3 innings split between all three outfield positions.
Regardless, it’s a good sign to see the young outfielder already down in Florida gearing up for the season, even if he can’t begin baseball activity yet.
