PORT ST. LUCIE — A few more home runs from their right fielder this spring, and the Mets might have a new religion — “Dudaism” — to join cults Linsanity and Tebowmania on the New York sports scene.
Lucas Duda has four of the Mets’ 11 home runs this spring, after yesterday’s solo homer to the opposite field in his team’s 7-5 exhibition loss to the Braves.
“Lucas Duda is going to be a dynamic talent,” manager Terry Collins said. “Obviously he [has] power supreme. I just think he’s getting very comfortable with the fact he’s a major league player and that he belongs here and he can hit here.
“He’s already shown he can hit lefties, he can hit righties and he can hit the ball out of the ballpark. From what you’ve seen from some of his home runs is why I think the reconfiguration of Citi Field is going to be a big difference for him.”
Duda is hitting .306 for the spring with eight RBIs, but says he hasn’t paid attention to his numbers.
“I don’t buy into it,” he said. “You do it when it counts.”
Duda said the way he feels is the most important thing.
“I feel good and I feel healthy,” Duda said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
* David Wright talked his way into yesterday’s lineup after it was originally decided he would rest. Wright finished 0-for-2 with an RBI a day after making his Grapefruit League debut.
“I felt good today so I thought I would like to play [consecutive] days,” said Wright, who missed three weeks with tightness in his left rib cage. “I feel OK considering I’ve had five at-bats. It’s a process. I’m happy with where I’m at now, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”
* Scott Hairston is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut today after missing nearly a month with a strained oblique. Andres Torres took batting practice and moved closer to a return from a sore left calf.
* Lefty reliever Josh Edgin pitched a scoreless inning and still has a zero ERA this spring, but Collins indicated the fact Tim Byrdak might only miss the opening series of the season could keep Edgin from making the team. The Mets are also wary of the fact Edgin has not pitched above the Single-A level.