MLB

Mets’ d’Arnaud goes 0-for-4 in return from concussion

PHILADELPHIA — Travis d’Arnaud returned to the Mets’ lineup Thursday, but unless he begins showing dramatic improvement, that might not be such a good thing.

“At this point you would put him in the overhyped category for sure,” a major league scout said before the Mets beat the Phillies 4-1 at Citizens Bank Park.

After spending the last two weeks recovering from a concussion, d’Arnaud went 0-for-4 in his return and dropped his average to .189 with three homers in eight RBIs.

Anthony Recker is batting .229 with two homers and six RBIs in 70 at-bats as the backup catcher.

Manager Terry Collins was asked if this is a critical stretch for d’Arnaud.

“I don’t know if it’s a critical stretch,” Collins said. “We’ve got to start to get some offense out of our catching position for sure. Both those guys are offensive-minded people. That’s why they are both here.”

D’Arnaud only said he wasn’t happy with his plate approach before his concussion. What will he change?

“Just work with L.J. and we’ll figure it out,” d’Arnaud said, referring to new hitting coach Lamar Johnson.

Behind the plate, d’Arnaud has changed his face wear, ditching the hockey-style mask he had been wearing for a more conventional one.

As much as the Mets want to see the 25-year-old d’Arnaud succeed — he was the linchpin of the deal that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays before the 2013 season — he could be benched or demoted to Triple-A if his production doesn’t soon increase.


Though Bobby Abreu was absent from the Mets’ lineup for a second straight game on Thursday, Collins plans to play him Friday against A.J. Burnett and go from there.

“You have to be careful of wearing him down, of running him out there every day, he hasn’t done it in a long time,” Collins said.

The 40-year-old Abreu is batting .286 with a homer and five RBIs in 42 at-bats.


Guy Conti, who serves a spring-training instructor, has joined the team for this road trip and will serve as a fill-in for at least two games.

Bench coach Bob Geren will leave the team next week to attend his son’s graduation from Princeton and pitching coach Dan Warthen will depart for his daughter’s high school graduation.


Collins joined Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra, Joe Torre, Davey Johnson, Bobby Valentine and Willie Randolph among Mets managers with at least 250 wins.