PORT ST. LUCIE — Carson Benge is excelling in his first major league camp with the Mets, but whether that translates into a spot on the Opening Day roster is still in question.
“I don’t think we have made that decision yet,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday.
Benge, the team’s top position player prospect, entered play with an .846 OPS in the Grapefruit League.
He bolstered his case with an RBI triple in his first plate appearance against the Marlins on this night.
“Carson is having a nice camp,” Stearns said. “Similar to all our guys he’s worked really hard — I think we have had a real work-intensive camp across the field and Carson has participated in that.
“In the games we’ve seen what we would have expected. He’s taken very competitive at-bats. He’s a tough out. I think he’s played a nice right field … he’s a really good player and we’ll have a difficult decision as we get toward the end of camp.”
Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez are among the other players in camp in the right field mix.
Francisco Lindor remains in position to potentially begin the season with the team, according to Stearns, as he rehabs from hamate bone surgery in his left hand.
Stearns said he would expect Lindor to appear in Grapefruit League games before the Mets break camp, but conversations have not occurred to set a plan.
Brandon Waddell is “getting better,” according to manager Carlos Mendoza, after he was scratched from his Monday start because of shoulder fatigue.
The left-hander won’t need imaging on the shoulder and will continue throwing, according to Mendoza.
Outfielder Nick Morabito and pitcher Jonathan Pintaro were optioned to Triple-A.
Pitcher Jack Wenninger was reassigned to minor league camp.
The Mets have 64 players remaining in major league camp.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
