Mets Prospect Travis D'Arnaud Can't Wait To Finally Get The Call
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mets catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud has been waiting, waiting, waiting.
In a peculiar circumstance, the 24-year-old is waiting for starting catcher John Buck's wife to have a baby, putting the backstop on paternity leave.
It is widely believed that once Buck leaves the club, d'Arnaud will finally get his long-awaited call to the big leagues.
Of course the most important thing is that the Bucks bring a healthy baby into the world, but the top prospect can't help but be anxious as he waits for the promotion of a liftetime. The Long Beach, Calif., native has been on notice for the past two weeks.
"It's definitely been an interesting experience for me over the past couple of weeks knowing everything that's going on," d'Arnaud told the New York Post. "I know it would have been sweet to open up in LA, but I've never been to the majors before, so any time I get the call I'm going to be excited. I'm going to feel like a little kid."
Once Buck goes on paternity leave, d'Arnaud will join the Mets for three games before returning to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to the newspaper. He'll then rejoin the team in September when rosters are expanded.
D'Arnaud has the distinction of having been traded for two Cy Young Award winners. He began his professional career with the Phillies before being shipped in 2010 in a deal that brought back Roy Halladay. Then, this past offseason, he was the key piece in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays.
The right-handed hitter can't wait to catch Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, the young studs of the Mets' pitching staff. But with the pair on innings limits this season, he might not get the opportunity to do so -- at least not often.
"The pitcher/catcher relationship is one of the most underrated things in this game," d'Arnaud told the New York Post. "I would love to catch them and figure out how they think on the mound more, and be able to go out there and feel comfortable with them when they are out there."
D'Arnaud was projected to already be in Flushing, but he suffered a non-displaced fracture on his left foot on April 17, setting him back substantially.
In 18 games for Triple-A Las Vegas this season, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is batting .302 with two home runs and 11 RBIs. He has also ripped eight doubles and drawn 20 walks to just 12 strikeouts, posting a .486 on-base percentage.
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