No, meticulous Mets manager Buck Showalter did not forget that the Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt throws with his right hand when he wrote Mark Vientos’ name into the starting lineup Friday night.
Showalter broke from a platoon pattern by turning to the right-handed-hitting Vientos over left-handed-hitting Daniel Vogelbach as the designated hitter against Bassitt and the Blue Jays at Citi Field.
It was a change celebrated by frustrated fans clamoring to see the rookie Vientos play every day over the talk-radio piñata Vogelbach, whose high walk rate but minimal production otherwise has been responsible in part for the Mets entering the game ranked No. 27 out of 30 MLB teams with a .658 OPS from their DHs.
But it didn’t produce much as Vientos went hitless in three at-bats during a 3-0 loss.
“I don’t want Mark to sit too long,” Showalter said before the game. “I know he is going to play Sunday [against left-hander Yusei Kikuchi] and I wanted him to play today.”
Perhaps it was a first step toward Vientos claiming a bigger share of the playing time. At the very least, it seemed that the Mets are giving Vientos a chance to prove himself against righties and hold on to his roster spot if catcher Omar Narvaez returns from a rehab stint next week and a player needs to be removed from the roster.
General manager Billy Eppler said Vientos’ development is best served by remaining in the majors — even in a thus-far limited role — rather than by continuing to crush Triple-A pitching on a daily basis.
“Mark is so proud of what he did in Triple-A,” Eppler said. “When you look at the back of the baseball card stuff from last year to this year — they were both good years — but some of the things that drive performance and some of the objectives that he had, he checked those boxes in Triple-A. Up here now, just continue to see him get opportunities — and we’re excited about that.”
Vientos certainly had no trouble slugging in same-side matchups at Triple-A Syracuse, for which he hit .313 with 12 home runs and a 1.054 OPS off righties. Bassitt — as Showalter knows from managing him last season — was no easy test, with righties managing a .480 OPS compared to lefties’ .954 OPS against him before he spun a gem over 7 ²/₃ innings Friday.
“I’m confident against righties or lefties, and in my ability every time I’m out there,” Vientos said. “I’m not really worried about it.”
Showalter slowly integrated third baseman Brett Baty and catcher Francisco Alvarez via platoons with Eduardo Escobar and Tomas Nido, respectively, before the rookies proved they were worthy of bigger roles.
“It’s a learning adjustment,” Vientos said of not playing every day, “but I feel pretty good about what I’ve done so far. I’m just trying to keep working and when the opportunity comes, go out and do my job in a certain spot.”
Vientos “absolutely” has his eye on being more than just a spot starter and a weapon off the bench against a left-handed reliever — as he was with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly against Matt Strahm of the Phillies on Thursday.
“My mindset was, ‘Drive the runner in,’ ” Vientos said. “If it was a groundball up the middle or a pop fly, whatever I had to do. I was taking swings in the cage, stretching, staying ready because anything can happen at any given time.”
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