Mets' Ike Davis in walking boot, will miss a week
Ike Davis looks on during a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. (June 1, 2013) Credit: Getty Steve Mitchell
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- With three weeks to go before Opening Day, Ike Davis limped into Mets camp Monday morning in a walking boot to protect his sore right calf.
Davis said he hasn't had an MRI yet and hopes to be back playing in a week. But the sight of the boot protecting what was supposed to be just a minor injury has to produce shivers in those who remember the last time Davis wore a boot.
That was in 2011, after Davis collided with David Wright on a pop-up in Colorado on May 10. Davis was supposed to be out only a few days. He ended up missing the rest of the season.
This time, though, Davis thinks he will be back soon. He has had trouble with both calves -- he thinks he suffered the injury in the weight room -- and said the issue is "tightness," not pain.
"It hasn't been painful," he said. "That's the weird thing. It just felt tight . . . It's just a walking boot. Nothing crazy happened. Hopefully, I'll get two weeks of games in before the season starts. I can still get a lot of ABs."
"When he did it, he tried to play," manager Terry Collins said. "He thought it was something that was going to go away in two days. Here we are five days out and it still is just not getting better very fast. It's a little bit of a concern, but the trainers did say he feels better."
Davis has one hit (a home run) in six at-bats. Collins said before spring training that he wanted to get Davis 80 to 90 at-bats in hopes of avoiding the slow starts that have plagued him the last two seasons.
"That was a pipe dream, wasn't it," Collins said.
The Mets tried and failed to trade Davis during the offseason and aren't going to get any new nibbles if he can't get on the field.
Davis and Lucas Duda are supposed to be competing for the lefthanded half of a first-base platoon, likely with righthanded-hitting Josh Satin, but Duda (sore left hamstring) also is out. He ran and took batting practice for the first time Monday and said he hopes to return by Wednesday or Thursday.
"Feels good," said Duda, who is 2-for-7 with a home run and was injured running the bases. "Should be ready to go in a couple days or so. As soon as possible would be best."
Duda finished last year as the Mets' primary first baseman and has gotten most of his practice reps at the position this camp. He also could see time in the outfield, but the Mets already have three candidates for two spots in Eric Young Jr., Chris Young and Juan Lagares.
