PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets have decided about struggling DH Darin Ruf, designating him for project.
The 36-year-old right-handed hitter won’t be included on the membership’s Opening Day roster. Instead, the Mets will choose outfielder Tim Locastro, a speedy base-stealing specialist. The Mets can benefit from the brand new guidelines that encourage extra motion on the basepaths with Locastro, a speedy base-stealing specialist.
Ruf was acquired on the commerce deadline final season from the San Francisco Giants. The Mets despatched 4 gamers, together with third baseman J.D. Davis, to the Giants in change for Ruf, who was acquired to hit left-handed pitching. But Ruf discovered the change of surroundings to be troublesome and he discovered it particularly troublesome to wrestle in New York. He hit simply .152 with a .413 OPS and no dwelling runs with the Mets.
He got here into camp with tendinitis in his wrist and acquired a cortisone injection, which cleared up the ache. Still, Ruf struggled to hit going 5-for-30 (.167) with two doubles, 4 walks and 9 strikeouts in Grapefruit League play.
Locastro had a robust spring, hitting .289 with a .907 OPS, 5 doubles, a triple, a house run and 6 stolen bases in six makes an attempt. A Syracuse native who hung out with the Yankees final summer season, Locastro can create runs and power errors along with his pace and base-running skills.
It’s powerful to surrender on a participant that took a lot to amass however the Mets have seemingly admitted defeat with this commerce. The Mets will now give the DH at-bats to Daniel Vogelbach and outfielder Tommy Pham, who was signed partly for his means to hit left-handed pitching.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com