SAN DIEGO — J.D. Davis arrived to the Mets before the 2019 season as a potential part-time first baseman for the team. 

It only took 3 ½ years, but Davis was finally set to receive that opportunity Monday night. 

Following Dominic Smith’s demotion last week to Triple-A Syracuse to work out his offensive struggles, manager Buck Showalter has turned to Davis (at least for now) as Pete Alonso’s backup at first base. Alonso was scheduled to start at DH against the Padres, giving his legs a refresher, with Davis at first base. 

Davis’ only previous major league experience at the position came in 2017-18, when he played 15 games at first base for the Astros. Primarily a third baseman and DH, the Mets have also used Davis in left field during his tenure with the club.

“I am pretty comfortable at first base,” Davis said at Petco Park. “It’s not something crazy. It’s not catcher or shortstop or center field or something like that. I just have to go out there and do my part and play catch.” 

Earlier in the season Showalter had tinkered with the idea of using Mark Canha as a backup first baseman. But in the last two weeks Davis began working with infield coach Joey Cora at the position. Davis’ recent emergence at the plate has certainly helped his cause: he entered play 13-for-35 (.371) with a .907 OPS over his last 10 games. That included a 10th-inning double on Sunday that knocked in the go-ahead run in the Mets’ victory over the Dodgers. 

Showalter was asked about the number of reps Davis received at first base in spring training. 

“Not enough, to be honest with you,” Showalter said. “That was one challenge that I thought the shortened spring training, he got a little work there, but he’s really picked up the pace the last couple of weeks with [Cora]. We knew this was going to happen at some point, especially after we sent Dom out.” 

Though Davis has seen plenty of action at third base over the years, there will be an adjustment period needed. 

“You can’t say the infield is the infield,” Showalter said. “It’s different angles. It’s footwork at first base. I think probably getting comfortable with the clock and the footwork a little bit.” 

Davis joked that he let Taijuan Walker’s “big hands” break in his first baseman’s mitt. A team staffer has also used the mitt to warm up the pitchers, further preparing it for game action. 

“Cora and Buck have asked me what my thoughts are on first base and I am a little new,” Davis said. “But I said I can go over there and catch the ball and do my part and I think Pete was a little heavy on the legs [Sunday], so he needed to DH. It’s my part to step in and play first base.” 

Alonso’s defense has regressed this season — he ranks only in the sixth percentile among MLB players at the position with minus-four outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. But Showalter appreciates Alonso’s commitment to improvement. 

“It’s like running,” Showalter said. “Pete is not a seven or eight runner, but he tries to run. Pete wants to be a Gold Glove first baseman and he’s trying every day to be as good as he’s capable of being and where it ends up and what happens in the course of the game, I can live with it when people are trying as hard as he does.”