LOS ANGELES — Are we there yet?
Travis d’Arnaud has spent the last two weeks hearing he is on the verge of a call up to the Mets, as catcher John Buck awaits the birth of his third child and subsequent three-day paternity leave, but so far there has been no baby.
And no d’Arnaud.
“It’s definitely been an interesting experience for me over the past couple of weeks knowing everything that’s going on,” the Long Beach, Calif., native d’Arnaud told The Post Wednesday before the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Dodgers in 12 innings. “I know it would have been sweet to open up in LA, but I’ve never been to the majors before, so anytime I get the call I’m going to be excited. I’m going to feel like a little kid.”
If d’Arnaud is lucky, the call will come over the next four days while the Mets are in San Diego — just 95 miles from Long Beach.
After missing three months rehabbing a broken left foot, the 24-year-old d’Arnaud just wants his big chance. He entered last night’s play for Triple-A Las Vegas batting .314 with two homers and 11 RBIs — with a .486 on-base percentage in 17 games.
The Mets’ plan after acquiring him from the Blue Jays last winter as the centerpiece of the R.A. Dickey deal called for d’Arnaud to open the year in Las Vegas and join the major league club before midseason. But the broken left foot d’Arnaud sustained on a foul tip behind the plate in April changed those plans.
The Mets’ new plan is to have d’Arnaud for three games once Buck is placed on paternity leave and then return him to Las Vegas. D’Arnaud would then rejoin the Mets once rosters expand in September.
But there will be limited opportunities for d’Arnaud to work with Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, especially because both pitchers are facing innings limits that will shorten their seasons.
D’Arnaud said any chance he gets to catch Harvey and Wheeler will be a bonus.
“The pitcher/catcher relationship is one of the most underrated things in this game,” d’Arnaud said. “I would love to catch them and figure out how they think on the mound more, and be able to go out there and feel comfortable with them when they are out there.”
D’Arnaud, who spent most of spring training with the Mets, has kept tabs on his future teammatesand likes what he sees.
“I know all of them, and it’s a great bunch of guys,” d’Arnaud said. “They all have the same mind-set as I do as far as trying to win and bring a championship to New York.”
D’Arnaud said he also looks forward to a reunion with Buck, who served as his mentor in spring training.
“I was pretty much in his pocket the whole time talking to him,” d’Arnaud said. “I had nothing but questions for him and he had nothing but answers and I’m surely grateful for that.
“I’m just excited to be back playing baseball. Fortunately my injury wasn’t season ending, so I’m just glad to be back anywhere.”