The Mets announced Justin Turner will not go on the DL and will be on the Opening Day roster. Zach Lutz was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for him.
The Opening Day Lineup will look like this:
- Collin Cowgill, CF
- Daniel Murphy, 2B
- David Wright, 3B
- Ike Davis, 1B
- Marlon Byrd, RF
- Lucas Duda, LF
- John Buck, C
- Ruben Tejada, SS
- Jon Niese, LHP
Niese will oppose San Diego Padres right-hander Edinson Volquez at 1:10 PM at Citi Field.
Collins said that center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis has officially made the Mets active roster as the fourth outfielder along with Mike Baxter.
He also admitted that Cowgill will not be platooned and will be there every day even against righthanded pitching.
Lucas Duda will man left field on a regular basis and Marlon Byrd will start everyday in right field.
So expect to see Duda, Cowgill and Byrd start every game this season unless something changes. That is essentially the 2013 outfield for the season going forward.
Nieuwenhuis is expected to be the defensive replacement for Duda late in games, while Baxter will give Byrd an occasional break now and then to keep the 35-year old fresh.
It was later learned that the reason Jordany Valdespin was not considered for playing time in the outfield was because the Mets were not comfortable with his fielding. Spin was one of the top hitters in camp this spring, but for now all he’s earned was a spot on the back of the bench to pinch-hit against right-handers.
Quote of the Day
“You look up and down our roster, you’re not going to see a lot of household names, you’re not going to see a lot of flash or that sexiness per se, but I think you got a room full of guys that don’t have those egos, that know how to play team baseball. We practiced that this spring, playing that winning, team baseball and unselfishness. I think the teams that do well are the teams that have bought into that team concept where it’s that win at all costs, who cares who gets the big hit, who cares how many hits you get. Bottom line is wins and I think we have a group of guys that have bought into that.” – David Wright
MMO will have about ten writers at Citi Field and we’ll be Live Blogging the event from the press box as well as featuring tweets, images and thoughts from the rest of the staff in attendance.
Stick with us for all the action and Lets Go Mets!
