Michael Conforto dropped to No. 5 spot in Mets lineup
Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets runs out a fifth inning home run against Matt Cain #18 of the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field on Saturday, April 30, 2016 in the Queens Borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
MIAMI — Michael Conforto bats fifth in the lineup against former Stony Brook University righthander Tom Koehler on Friday. The struggling Conforto hadn’t hit that low against a righty since batting sixth on April 12, just before Terry Collins elevated him to the No. 3 spot.
Collins hoped the move down might “relax” the sputtering Conforto, who has one hit in his last 22 at-bats dating to May 24.
“I really don’t know if that gets into the mindset of a guy like that,” Collins said. “I think he just knows he’s struggling so we’re going to get him out of the three hole right now just to take a little pressure off.”
Conforto hit .365 in April but followed it up with a .169 average in May. He went 1-for-15 on the Mets’ last homestand.
