Mets' Lagares, Activated From DL, OK With Likely Outfield Platoon
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- So what happens now?
The Mets have a problem -- a good problem -- on their hands, but manager Terry Collins will have to play his cards right to make the situation work.
Juan Lagares has been activated from the disabled list ahead of Thursday's series opener against the Rockies. His return creates a logjam in New York's outfield.
Eric Young, Jr. has been the Mets' leadoff man and igniter, and Curtis Granderson -- who was terrible in April -- and Chris Young are the high-priced power bats.
Oh, and before Lagares was placed on the DL, he was the club's best all-around player, shining with the glove in center field and batting .314 in 51 at-bats.
Collins has said that he plans to rotate the four outfielders for the time being. None of them will be relegated to the bench full-time.
Despite getting off to such a hot start, Lagares is open to being part of an outfield rotation upon his return.
"For me, I don't think about that," Lagares told the New York Daily News. "I just want to keep working hard and be there for the team. Anywhere they need me I want to be ready for it. Any decision they make, they know what they're doing. I just want to go work hard and work every day. If I don't play, then I'll be ready."
The 25-year-old strained his right hamstring while running to first base in Arizona on April 14. He rehabbed for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.
"It's a little hard because when you're there and you do good, you want to stay doing it," the stellar defender told the newspaper. "When something happens you feel a little down. But it's like I said, it can happen to anybody and the only thing you can do is keep working to try to come back to try to keep doing the same."
Kirk Nieuwenhuis was demoted to Triple-A to make room for Lagares on the 25-man roster.
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