The decisions of the second base have become more difficult for the manager Carlos Mendoza, who juggles two talented options and little proven differently.
Luisangel Acuña plays well.
Suddenly, Brett Baty, who played again on Friday.
Acuña went 8 for 21 (.381) with an OBP of .458 and four interceptions in her last eight games.
After reaching the base twice, Baty went 8 for 25 (0.320) with two doubles, a triple, a flight and two points produced in his last seven games.
“Trying to find a balance to keep both costs with a play action. They both play well, so it makes things much more difficult,” said Mendoza before the food leaves the cardinals, 5-4, at Citi Field. “But it’s a good problem to have.”
The problem will take additional challenges in the coming days.
Acuña and Baty replaced Jeff McNeil, whose rehabilitation transfer will continue on Saturday and Sunday with Double-A Binghamton.
After back to back, it is likely that it will be activated – and it will probably make Acuña or Baty to Triple -A Syracuse.
This scenario is likely but not final.
The dishes transport José Azocar as a fourth voltiper, and Azocar cannot be optionized without being exposed to derogations. Acuña – Who again started taking representatives in the central field, where he could help replace the injured Jose Siri – suppose the external backup point, while Baty becomes the main rescue field player?
“Too early to say. I think we will cross this bridge when we owe it,” said Mendoza. “They both play well, so I hope that it will be a very difficult decision (who leaves when McNeil joins).”
Acuña has dug a role as a part -time player who began to adapt to the pitching of major leagues, who really plays an excellent defense anywhere and can be a precious end of the game.
He leads the interceptions, his sixth to come after the pinch in the eighth round.
He then showed his legs by trying to move in third place on a ball on the ground in Nolan Arenado, but he on the bag and was labeled.
His ability to do part of everything – and a lot of race – prompted the club to look for other ways to keep it in the big league team.
He played 31 games at Center Field with Syracuse last season and resumed to obtain pre-match representatives on site.
Mets Outfield coach Antoan Richardson has been working with Acuña since spring training and thinks that Acuña knows what he is doing in the center.
There are challenges when an inner field player moves to the outside field, where there is much more ground to cover in all directions.
“He worked 360 (degrees), while the inner field player (degrees), said, said Richardson, adding that Acuña has proven a quick study.
“He is super athletic and super talented,” said Richardson about Acuña, whose sprint speeds have classified as the seventh best of incoming MLB. “I think it has a chance to be special anywhere on the field. If you put it in the central field, I think that over time, it will be special. ”
The dishes hope that Baty has the same type of ceiling with its bat.
Baty showed it in minors, with a .899 OPS in 94 games with Syracuse.
He showed it during training in the spring, when he looked like the best dripping of the food and headed for an opening place.
But he had never reproduced the results against the major leagues by launching as he is now: Baty came into play after having recorded several strokes in consecutive matches.
Friday, he pulled his first step of the season and pierced a double in fifth round before coming to score.
Could he understand it?
“In Minnesota, he arrived at a very good quick ball that he was able to hit a hard-on-line driving above the curl stop,” said Mendoza. “(Thursday), we saw him stay inside a cutter, going in the other direction, (then) by pulling ground on the line of the right field, using the whole field.
“When he does that, he’s a pretty good striker.”
A week ago, the dishes could not rush McNeil into the Queens fairly quickly, because none of the second basic options could do anything with the bat.
Now Mendoza has fought with which the hot striker on a bench, giving Baty the majority of representatives against right -handers but inserting Acuña frequently later in the matches.
Programming decisions are difficult, and it is likely that the approach decision will also be a difficult call.
“I hope this is the case,” said Mendoza.
