PORT ST. LUCIE — Despite being shut down by a strained right oblique, Michael Conforto said he feels “pretty good” and is relieved it’s not worse than the Grade 1 strain an MRI exam revealed.
“I’m definitely better than a couple days ago,’’ the Mets right fielder said after returning from New York, where he had been examined by team physician David Altchek. “My symptoms weren’t all that crazy and after a couple days of treatment, I felt quite a bit better.”
Conforto, just as Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen had done, declined to put a timeline on his potential return. He’s able to do conditioning and core work, but won’t swing a bat until he’s reevaluated.
“At this point, I’m gonna do everything I can to feel better for the next day,’’ Conforto said when asked about playing Opening Day, which is just over two weeks away.
It’s the first time Conforto has had an issue with his oblique. That injury can vary significantly in terms of severity.
Conforto suffered the strain while he was trying to make a catch in right field on Saturday, battling the wind and sun.
“It was frustrating it was that play,’’ Conforto said. “It just grabbed a little bit. I didn’t think anything of it. It felt like a cramp.”
Conforto stayed in the game and was in the on-deck circle, but the inning ended before his next at-bat and his side tightened up, which is why he got treatment. That led to the MRI and the visit to New York.
“Oblique [injuries] are different for everybody,’’ Conforto said. “[My rehab] is gonna be based on my symptoms and … based on my strength. There’s no timeline. We’ll take it day by day. What I will say is I feel very good right now.”
If Conforto is unable to go, Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Davis are both options in right field.
Nimmo played right in a Grapefruit League game Monday and Davis noted he played right field as recently as two years ago in Triple-A.
“Nobody likes to have an oblique [injury] or to get hurt,’’ Conforto said. “I’m gonna be smart and I feel good right now.”
Michael Wacha pitched a simulated game on a back field and said he felt good.
Yoenis Cespedes had a scheduled day off Wednesday and Rojas was unsure if the outfielder would play in one of the simulated games Friday and Saturday in Port St. Lucie while the team has a pair of games on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Noah Syndergaard will pitch one of the sim games, while Steven Matz will face the Braves in North Port, Fla., and Marcus Stroman is set to pitch against the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday.
