Mets' Pete Alonso shows his best position might be offensive line after collision with Josh Reddick
Pete Alonso #20 of the Mets is congratulated by Devin Mesoraco #29 after scoring on a triple by Gregor Blanco in the second inning of a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros at Fitteam Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on March 11, 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Credit: Getty Images/Rich Schultz
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The legend of Pete Alonso grew again on Monday when he flattened Houston’s Josh Reddick in a first-base collision in the fifth inning of the Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Astros at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Reddick bunted toward the mound, and when Seth Lugo fired to first, the throw was to the home-plate side of the base. Alonso caught it for the out but ended up right in Reddick’s path.
Splat! The 6-2, 195-pound Reddick bounced off the 6-3, 245-pound Alonso, as Mets manager Mickey Callaway put it, “like a sack of potatoes.”
.@Pete_Alonso20 & @RealJoshReddick are tough. They're baseball players. 💪 pic.twitter.com/yFn7wfH5e2
— Cut4 (@Cut4) March 11, 2019
Reddick was down on his back for a while, but he got up and walked off, laughing.
“Whoever says baseball isn’t a contact sport is an idiot,” Alonso said. “And that’s proof of that.”
Reddick and Alonso exchanged their thoughts on Twitter, with Reddick posting: “Hey @Pete_Alonso20 make sure the trainers check out that brick wall you call a body post game.”
Alonso replied: “They said I’m all good to go [two crying emojis] I’m so sorry and I’m glad you’re OK.”
Alonso continued his hot hitting at the plate, too, going 1-for-3 with a double off the centerfield wall. The rookie is batting .406.
“He’s hitting them hard,” Callaway said. “Even the baserunners.”
TJ surgery for Smith
Righthander Drew Smith, who was competing for a spot in the bullpen, will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday and miss the season, Callaway said. Smith, 25, was sent to New York on Sunday after complaining of elbow soreness. Tests showed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
Extra bases
Todd Frazier (oblique strain) ran, played catch and took grounders as his rehab continues . . . Yoenis Cespedes (surgery on both heels) played catch for the first time . . . The Mets sent righthanders Corey Oswalt and Walker Lockett to minor-league camp . . . Jason Vargas threw four shutout innings to lower his spring training ERA to 1.08.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
