J.D. Davis is reportedly set to make his Mets return immediately after the All-Star break, set to activate the third baseman when New York begins its second half in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
But will Davis be a regular at the hot corner as he returns from a hand sprain that has sidelined him since May 1? Manager Luis Rojas isn't committing to that game plan, not with the strong play of the fill-ins who have helped mask the void of Davis' bat in the lineup.
"You always want to have J.D.'s bat in the lineup," Rojas said. "He's a really good hitter. But I can't say right now that he's the third baseman."
Davis was swinging a hot bat before his injury, batting .390 with a 1.089 OPS in a small sample size of 14 games, but Jonathan Villar has been a spark for the Mets at third, posting an OPS above .800 since June 1, and smacked two home runs against the Pirates on Friday night. Luis Guillorme has also seen time at third since Davis' injury.
But just because Davis likely won't be the everyday third baseman when he returns, that doesn't mean he won't see regular at-bats in the lineup. Davis had only played third this year before his injury, but has played outfield and first base as well in his career, something Rojas expects to capitalize on in the second half of the season.
"He will be a third baseman, and he'll get his chance to play third," Rojas said. "We tried him at first too. I think we also think of his versatility as playing the outfield before. I think moving around will serve well for him."
If Davis hits like he did before his injury, he will have to be in the lineup. It just might not always be from third base, as many Mets replacements have played big parts in keeping the team in first place during New York's unprecedented injury wave.
"I feel that everyone we have here right now is an everyday player," Rojas said. "Everyone is getting a chance to play. We're rotating and getting in guys, so J.D. is gonna come in and be part of that rotation as well. That's the way we're thinking of it, and I think his versatility is going to serve him well."
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