It’s been a difficult spring for Lucas Duda. He spent most of the first month of camp sidelined with a strained intercostal muscle, and has now gotten off to a sluggish start in his first five games back from the injury.
Heading into play yesterday, Duda was 0-for-6 with 4 strikeouts against left-handed pitching. But according to the New York Post, knowing about those struggles and his problems last season against southpaws – he hit just .180 with four extra-base hits in 125 at-bats – Duda asked Terry Collins if he could get some at-bats against Tigers LHP David Price on Saturday.
Duda went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts against Price – he is now 1-for-9 He’s now 1-for-9 with six strikeouts against left-handed pitching this spring.
Overall, Duda is 2-for-17 with a walk and eight strikeouts this spring.
It’s safe to assume if yesterday had been a regular season game at Citi Field, Michael Cuddyer would have been at first and John Mayberry Jr. in left field only because Price is a different animal.
Going back to late last season, it’s sounded like they intended to give Duda every chance to succeed against left-handed pitching early in this season. People with the club reasoned it was difficult to bench 30 home run power even in these unfavorable match-ups. However, with Cuddyer here, it’s not clear how long the leash will be if he struggles at the rate he did last year.
Just Mets 