PORT ST. LUCIE — Don’t count out Ruben Tejada.
Though the 21-year-old infielder technically isn’t part of the Mets’ second base competition, manager Terry Collins hasn’t closed the door completely on the possibility of Tejada claiming the position by the end of camp.
“I have not seen Ruben Tejada very much, but I’m watching his batting practice, and he’s not hitting the ball out of the ballpark, but he is putting as good a swing on the baseball as anybody in this camp,” Collins said yesterday. “We’ve got a guy [in Tejada] we know can play second base. If his bat comes around, he may be that guy, who knows?”
Tejada batted .213 with a homer and 15 RBIs in 78 games for the Mets last season, mostly at second base. Collins would like to have Tejada begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo at shortstop — an insurance policy behind Jose Reyes.
But if Tejada has a sizzling spring training and no candidate emerges from the second-base pack, Collins could envision Tejada playing second on Opening Day.
“It all depends on what those other guys look like when we start playing,” Collins said, referring to Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus and Justin Turner.
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Collins considered it a good sign that Carlos Beltran
wanted to run the bases yesterday rather than take a day off, as had been offered to him. Collins and GM Sandy Alderson
may get an answer from Beltran as soon as tomorrow about whether he would prefer to play center field or right field.
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The Mets likely will get a look at phenom Bryce Harper
— last year’s No. 1 overall draft choice — when they play the Nationals on Monday. The 18-year-old Harper is expected to make his spring training debut and get one at-bat against the Mets.
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In preparation for tomorrow’s Grapefruit League opener against the Braves, the Mets will play an intrasquad scrimmage today. D.J. Carrasco
, Jason Isringhausen
, Tim Byrdak
and Taylor Tankersley
are among the scheduled pitchers.
