Terry Collins hasn't decided what to do when Travis d'Arnaud returns
Kevin Plawecki of the New York Mets celebrates after scoring in the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field on Wednesday, May 6, 2015. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday that he has yet to give too much thought about what he'll do when catcher Travis d'Arnaud is healthy again. Collins could have a good problem on his hands because catching prospect Kevin Plawecki has played well in d'Arnaud's absence. "If you're looking down the road, it's hard to say who's going to get the majority of the playing time," said Collins, who didn't rule out keeping both players on the roster.
However, sources indicated that Plawecki would most likely be sent back to Triple-A Las Vegas. The internal belief is that Plawecki could still benefit from playing every day in the minor leagues as opposed to splitting time in the majors.
Plawecki extended his hitting streak to six games Wednesday night with a single in the fourth. He is hitting .333 during the streak.
Meanwhile, Collins said it's unclear precisely when d'Arnaud will be ready to come back from a broken finger. He has already started doing receiving drills and is scheduled to be examined by doctors on Monday.
Pick a prospect
Both Noah Syndergaard and Stephen Matz have pitched well enough to warrant consideration for a big-league look. However, a source said that Syndergaard holds the edge over Long Island's Matz the next time the Mets need a Rafael Montero-type spot start. Syndergaard's experience at Triple-A pushed him ahead. Syndergaard (2-0, 1.66 ERA) pitched in Triple-A Las Vegas last year while Matz (4-1, 2.04 ERA) is in his first season at the level.
The Mets intend to use a spot starter on occasion as a way to manage Matt Harvey's innings in his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
