CINCINNATI — Gary Sheffield didn’t sound like someone about to take over as the Mets’ predominant right fielder yesterday, nor did he look like it.
The 40-year-old slugger was the picture of exhaustion after taking 140 swings and then running down 30 fly balls in the outfield for the first time in longer than he could remember.
The Mets talked about Sheffield displacing Ryan Church in right field when they added Sheffield last weekend, but that possibility seemed remote before last night’s 9-7 victory over the Reds.
Even Sheffield predicted his role with the Mets likely would be limited, something he claimed is not a problem.
“No, I’m not trying to [take Church’s playing time away] at all,” Sheffield said. “I made that very clear. Like I said before, I don’t have to play baseball. Let’s get that straight. I was content 100 percent. This is about making history [with 500 home runs] and just showing my family I still can do it. To show myself, too.”
Sheffield, who is costing the Mets just $400,000 after his release last week by the Tigers, now says he would be fine with starting in right field once or twice a week and pinch-hitting the rest of the time.
“I’m not saying I’m going to be an everyday outfielder no more,” he said. “I understand my role. . . . Whatever they ask me to do, that’s what I’m going to try to do. If they ask me to come off the bench, they won’t hear a peep out of me.”
Jerry Manuel later said Sheffield’s outfield debut could come Sunday in Miami against the Marlins or the final two games of next week’s Citi Field inaugural series with the Padres.
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Oliver Perez has been so erratic throughout his career that Manuel admitted he watched the left-hander’s starts last year from the top step of the dugout. Not anymore.
Despite Perez’s pitching and conditioning woes this spring, Manuel insisted he won’t have his unpredictable starter on a short leash here this afternoon against the Reds.
“Ollie has been a guy that, the bigger the game, the bigger the man,” Manuel said yesterday. “He kind of put his back against the wall a little bit [with the terrible spring]. I’m looking forward to him coming out and performing like he does in big situations.”
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Just one game into the season, the Mets took extra batting practice yesterday. Manuel said that should be a common sight for his team the rest of this month.