Mets first baseman Lucas Duda will be fully shut down for thirty days after experiencing a “flare-up” in his back, GM Sandy Alderson told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). As DiComo notes, that may well mean that he won’t return by the end of the season.
The 30-year-old slugger had been expected to play a significant role this year for the defending N.L. champs. Instead, he lasted only 39 games before succumbing to a back injury that has proven more serious than initially believed. Though Duda was always expected to miss a couple of months, it had generally been assumed that he’d return at some point down the stretch.
That still may be possible, and it doesn’t appear that the team has yet ruled Duda out completely. But a month-long shutdown doesn’t leave much time at all to return to game speed, and it may not even be worth the risk to try.
After all, Duda remains a likely asset for the Mets in 2017. He’s earning $6.725MM this year in his second-to-final season of arbitration eligibility. While he’ll likely earn a slight raise on that, he hasn’t done much to drive a big increase.
Before going down, Duda contributed 145 plate appearances of .231/.297/.431 hitting with seven home runs. That is well off of the standard he had set over the prior two seasons, when Duda was good for a .249/.350/.483 combined slash and 57 total long balls.
So long as the big lefty is able to show progress before the non-tender deadline, there’s good reason to think that he’ll still represent a solid value. Duda is limited to first base, where he is an average defender, and has never really hit lefties outside of a 132 plate appearance sample in 2015. But as a reasonably youthful, established power bat, the market will likely value him above a one-year, $7MM (or less) commitment.
Viewed in that light, Duda should at least represent a plausible trade piece even if he’s not in the Mets’ plans. Really, though, it’s not clear that New York has an alternative lined up. David Wright could require time at first if and when he’s able to return, though it’s hard to imagine the team making moves in reliance on his availability. And though highly-regarded prospect Dominic Smith has finally developed some power in his first attempt at the Double-A level, he’s only 21 years old and isn’t exactly demanding a big league promotion with a .282/.343/.439 batting line.
New York had already been forced to line up a fill-in for the present season, of course, with James Loney having now seen far more time than Duda on the year. He has been quite useful, slashing .284/.336/.442 over 215 plate appearances.
Well even if he does play he will probably be missing the playoffs anyways, so rest up Duda. Maybe you guys will make it next year?
They have a much better chance of making it next year than this year tbh
How so? More this half of their team is hurt this year.
No they don’t.
There’s no reason for a Mets fan to view 2017 with any sense of negativity. With Harvey healthy Matz and Syndergaard bone spur free and Wheeler with a nice winter break and spring training under his belt the rotation will be completely healthy, hopefully of course. So Harvey/Matz/Syndergaard/Wheeler/De Grom all healthy ready to roll the Mets should have one of the best rotations in baseball. The problem is it’s a bitter pill to swallow and say 2016 is a wash it just seemed like nothing went their way. Hopefully the Mets brass can convince Cespedes to stay another year. Their real issue is catcher and third base.
Boooooy we making it this year tf
Is he a non-tender candidate?
Won’t earn much of a raise beyond this year’s $6.725MM since he barely played. I’d think even with the injury risk, that’s a palatable price tag for a guy that hit 57 homers with a 133 OPS+ from 2014-15.
fair point.
No just because of a lack of quality 1B options.
Loney really hasn’t been that bad. Actually playing better than Duda when Duda actually played.
Exactly. The Mets got really lucky that he was sitting in AAA and were able to pick him up essentially for free.
Looney is better anyway
Well, that solves one roster problem, although I guess he wasn’t coming back before September 1st at this point, anyway.
Doesn’t Bruce have some experience at 1st base so they could play him their to supplement the offense and allow himself, cespedes, conforto, and granderson to all be in the lineup
Why would they want Granderson in the lineup over Loney? They hurt themselves offensively and defensively with that switch.
Not related to duda, but this years’ mets team has really shown the hazards of building around pitchers.
They’ve also had an incredible amount of injuries outside of the rotation too.
They had a bunch of injuries outside of the rotation last year, as well….
Every team has injuries. Few teams have their position players raack of the injuries like a pitching staff (especially a power pitching staff)
Yes, throwin hard leads to more arm injuries, before you try to cherry pick examples.
Every team has injuries, but once again the Mets have had some of the most in the game. Even when the get guys for depth, they’re going down quickly.
Their 3B, 1B, C, CF/LF (Cespedes and Lagares), SS, and their backup 3B (Reyes) have all missed significant if not huge chunks of the season. Apparently the ‘hazards of building around pitchers’ = having 2/3 of your offensive starters miss a lot of time.
I understand there is a big difference between AA and MLB pitching. However, I still find it quite amusing that shortly after saying Smith isn’t exactly demanding a promotion with his batting line, but Loney was quite useful with almost the exact same batting line. Not criticizing, just something to ponder.
There is a big difference in Age, experience, nerve, pitch ability, between AA and MLB so I don’t see Smith getting called up with a Loney Level batting line
Which is why I said that I understand. Although thank you for fully explaining in mind numbing detail something that I already understand. You would make (or would have made) a good high school teacher.
His comment isn’t any more mind numbing than your “this is a bad comment so I’m going to let you know it so you can’t say anything back but I’m going to make my bad comment anyway”
Where exactly did you see a bad comment? Ah screw it. it doesn’t matter, because I really don’t care anymore. Enjoy your night.
The Mets acquired J Bruce for his big left handed power so they improved. Surely the trade was taken into account that Duda might not be available.
Time for a Mark Teixeira waiver claim!
Teixeira isn’t even on waivers
There is no way for you to know that and a very good chance he is/will be.
Almost every player in the league is/will be on waivers soon
David Wright… a potential future HOF that never was….
Adam Lind would clear waivers once he does I can see Lind with the Mets
Not much of an upgrade over Loney, especially considering the Mariners won’t let him go for free. Mets should stick with what they’ve got and hope the pitching can stay healthy enough to lead them