Travis d'Arnaud to DH for Mets in spring training debut Sunday
Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud during a spring training workout on Feb. 15. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Almost 11 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Travis d’Arnaud is back.
D’Arnaud will be the Mets’ designated hitter against the Cardinals in Jupiter on Sunday and for one of the Mets’ split-squad games Monday, manager Mickey Callaway said. Those will be d’Arnaud’s first games since surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, a procedure that ended his 2018 season after four games.
Competing for the backup catcher spot, d’Arnaud will get behind the plate “at some point,” Callaway said. Devin Mesoraco, in camp on a minor-league contract, is d’Arnaud’s primary competition for the No. 2 catching job.
Because of the rehabilitation of d’Arnaud’s elbow, the Mets have brought him along slowly during spring training, including throwing in increasingly stressful — but always controlled — situations before putting him in a full-speed game environment. D’Arnaud finished checking off the items in that progression in recent days.
“Just kind of live throwing with live runners and getting that footwork synced up,” Callaway said. “He’s doing everything really well.”
The Mets have said they expect d’Arnaud to be ready for Opening Day.
