Mets will give Lucas Duda a shot to run away with the starting first base job - MLB

Lucas Duda and Ike Davis were supposed to compete for the Mets’ starting first base job during spring training, but both players were injured for most of the Grapefruit League schedule, so we entered the regular season without a resolution. However, the Mets appear ready to make a choice.

According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, Duda will start at first base Friday and will get a shot to run away with the job. Davis arguably has the greater long-term upside, but the Mets shopped him for most of the winter, which is perhaps of an indication of the front office’s preference.

This is a good time for the Mets to give Duda an extended look, as the club is expected to face all right-handed starters until at least next weekend in Los Angeles. Josh Satin still figures to get most of the at-bats at first base against southpaws regardless of whether the club eventually settles on Duda or Davis.

Duda, 28, entered today’s action with a .246/.341/.423 career batting line.

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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”