X-rays on Mets' J.D. Davis negative after HBP on foot
Mets' J.D. Davis doubles over after being hit by a pitch during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in St. Louis. Davis left the game. Credit: AP/Jeff Roberson
ST. LOUIS — The Mets’ latest hit-by-pitch victim seems OK, at least in the immediate aftermath.
X-rays on J.D. Davis’ left foot were negative Wednesday after he was hit there by a pitch from the Cardinals’ Genesis Cabrera, causing him to leave the Mets’ 10-5 loss early.
He was wearing a walking boot and will go to Citi Field on Thursday, a team off day, for treatment. The club will decide then whether he needs to get more imaging done.
For now, he is just sore.
“I was just hoping there was nothing broken, and sure enough there wasn’t,” said Davis, who turned 29 on Wednesday. “I’m just happy with that. Now it’s a control game with the swelling.”
Alonso returns
Incredibly, the following was true Wednesday for the second time in this three-week-old season: Pete Alonso was back in the lineup a day after getting hit in the head by a pitch.
Alonso was in his usual spots, playing first base and batting fourth, for the series finale against the Cardinals. That game started less than 15 hours after he was beaned by a changeup from St. Louis reliever Kodi Whitley, sending Alonso to the ground and his helmet flying. He went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Manager Buck Showalter said he felt it was important to get Alonso right back in there, as opposed to making him wait till Friday and risk exacerbating any mental hurdle that might exist.
“He’s physically fine, he’s done all the [concussion] tests and everything,” he said. “I don’t want him to sit around today and tomorrow. I think it’s important that he get back out there. Trust me: He really, really wants to. So I’m going to give him that opportunity.”
Showalter said late Tuesday night that “of course” he was worried about how it might impact Alonso’s headspace.
“We’re lucky,” Showalter said. “You’re talking about a pitch that broke his helmet. It’s not good. Not happy.”
Alonso also was hit in the head by the Nationals’ Mason Thompson on Opening Day. He has had enough of these close calls.
“Anyone else on the outside that doesn’t understand, I wish you could understand what it’s like between the lines when you see that ball coming in at you that fast,” he said. “It’s scary.”
Next man up
At the end of his interview on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” the Phillies’ Bryce Harper nominated Francisco Lindor to get mic’d up — conduct a live in-game interview, perhaps while on the field — this Sunday when the Mets play the Phillies.
Challenge accepted, Lindor said.
“I’ve done it before,” he said before adding with a laugh, “As long as I don’t get distracted, I’ll be fine.”
The new-look SNB booth includes former Mets pitcher David Cone and former Mets managerial candidate Eduardo Perez.
Extra bases
Lindor snapped an 0-for-15 skid with an RBI double in the seventh . . . Albert Pujols received a standing ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd as he stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning of this random midweek day game. He struck out against Chasen Shreve, his only at-bat of the series . . . The Mets’ rotation against Philadelphia this weekend: Tylor Megill on Friday, Taijuan Walker on Saturday, Max Scherzer on Sunday.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
