Reese Kaplan -- Who Gets Pushed Out As Players Return From Injury?

News filtered out that Pete Alonso is due back which means one of the rotating array of Plan B, C, D and E players must be dispatched back to Syracuse or out the door entirely.  With the fact Alonso only plays 1B, one would think logic would dictate a first baseman would be the one to go, but the recent play of James McCann there as a backup as well as Dom Smith suggests it may not be a like positioned player destined to depart.  

My guess would be Khalil Lee is going to be the unfortunate recipient of a private talk with either Zack Scott or Luis Rojas as he very seldom plays (and when he does he provides more wind than Dave Kingman did in his heyday).  He hasn’t shown the defensive exploits of some of the many injured outfielders and he appears to need to be in the lineup every day somewhere to try to improve that very weak aspect of his game.

The other player likely on thin ice is Patrick Mazeika.  With his very rare usage in the game, he won’t be missed all that much.  Now with two catchers returning to catching, the need for a third catcher is slim at best.  Mazeika was always much more known for his bat than his glove and his sole start in the majors was not behind the dish but at first base.  While I’d like to see more of his bat, if he’s not going to play then it’s not likely to happen.  

Until his first hit, a light squibbler down the third base line that went for a single, Cameron Maybin might have been on everyone’s list as someone who deserved an unceremonious heave-ho, but his track record in the majors has been of productivity when healthy.  This 0-27 start to his Mets career was simply a slump, not a sign that he’s past his prime.  He’s a career .254 hitter with as many as 10 HRs in a season and as many as 33 SBs.  Given the fact they’re now on their 4th or 5th level deep in centerfielders, his role is semi-secure for now.  Besides, he likely does not have options, so choosing to lose Maybin would mean subjecting him to a DFA.  

Oddly, newcomer Billy McKinney and recently promoted Brandon Drury seem much more entrenched on the team than some of the others.  Both have shown long ball ability and McKinney has demonstrated defensive acumen that the club could certainly use.  In his four year sojourn in the big leagues he’s accumulated almost a full season’s worth of ABs and that would include 22 HRs.  Drury has played roughly three full seasons across the 2015 to 2021 period and would average about 17 HRs over a single season.  

What might be a more difficult struggle is figuring out who is next when Kevin Pillar is due back in about a week or so.  That time off is a much quicker return than anyone could have expected and now he’s a bit of a folk hero in Mets lore, so he’s going to get a mammoth ovation from the hometown fans when he returns to CItifield.  It may be the other of Lee or Mazeika who survives this more immediately shove out the door.

  

Of course, the pitching options are going to be equally difficult to evaluate if and when people like Seth Lugo, Carlos Carrasco and yes, Dellin Betances, work their way back towards major league pitching.  In the pen most of the relievers have been terrific with the exceptions of Jacob Barnes and Robert Gsellman.  One of those two would likely be the first to go (particularly since at least Gsellman has a minor league option available).  

As more and more players begin to show they are healthy and ready to resume playing, these decisions become more difficult.  That is indeed a good problem to have for a first place ball club.