Just Mets

The news on Travis d’Arnaud’s fractured hand seemed to result in a better prognosis than originally expected on Monday when the Mets announced he would be in a cast for three weeks, and could resume baseball activities if the fracture was healed.

“There’s no guarantee that he’s going to be fully cleared in three weeks, but it’s a good prognosis. Probably the best we could’ve hoped for under the circumstances,” Sandy Alderson told the New York Post on Monday afternoon.

D’Arnaud was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning during Sunday’s 7-6 win over the Marlins. Before going on the disabled list, d’Arnaud had 11 RBI, tops among National League catchers.

The same news could not be said about Jerry Blevins, who suffered a distal radius fracture in his throwing arm and must remain in a cast for six weeks.

“I saw the X-rays this morning at HSS and his fracture was a little more complicated. It wasn’t displaced, but looked more like a broken t-cup,” Alderson said.

Blevins can resume baseball activities if the fracture has healed in six weeks, but it’s fair to estimate his time table could be two months or longer, given he has to rebuild strength in his forearm, go on a throwing program and go through a rehabilitation assignment in the minor leagues.

Alderson is still disappointed he lost two key players on Sunday in the midst of an eight game winning streak and the best start for the franchise since 2006.

“It was tough to lose both guys. [Blevins has] been critical to what happened over the first two weeks, and of course Travis has been swinging the bat very well and his defense has vastly improved since last season. At the same time, we have to keep going.”

Alderson is confident the team will continue to play well despite these losses, and in the case of Kevin Plawecki, is excited to see what he can do at the big league level.

“It’s enough time for him to make a contribution to us, and we all think Kevin is going to be a big leader,” Alderson explained. “He’s going to be a major league player down the road, regardless of what he does over the next month or so.”

Plawecki will likely see the bulk of the playing time while d’Arnaud is sidelined. The Mets have been really excited about Plawecki, who was selected in the compensation round of the 2012 first year player draft as a result of losing Jose Reyes to the Marlins in free agency the previous winter. He is viewed as an offensive-oriented catcher who’s defense continues to improve behind the plate.

Team insiders have said there continues to be no plan to move either Plawecki or d’Arnaud out from behind the plate in the short-term. Plawecki has played first base at times in the minor leagues, but the design for that was to keep him fresh while getting him at-bats on a daily basis.

So, it’s logical to conclude Plawecki will be optioned back to Triple-A when d’Arnaud is ready to return. But, while this is earlier than expected and not the circumstances in which he or the team would have liked, Plawecki is either ready, or very close to being ready, and he is going to get an opportunity to shine for the big league club.

What happens from here at the position remains to be seen, but the good problem the Mets had at the position has been resolved, at least for now…