MLB

With Ike gone, Duda steps up for Mets

With Ike Davis in Triple-A now, there aren’t many lefty hitters in the Mets lineup who offer power.

Essentially, it’s all on Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy.

Last night, in the Mets’ second game without Davis, Duda delivered, going 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs in his team’s 5-1 win over the Cardinals. The lefty-swinging left fielder now has 11 homers this season and is on pace for an impressive 29. It’s lefty power production the Mets are craving.

“It’s invaluable,” Terry Collins said. “I can’t tell you what a difference it’ll make if he starts driving in runs.”

Indeed, Duda only has 22 RBIs this season, as he’s hitting just .140 (6-for-43) with runners in scoring position. But he did smack an RBI single that scored Murphy from first base in the Mets’ two-run first inning against Cards righty Shelby Miller, ending a 2-for-20 funk that had included eight strikeouts.

“Lucas being a part of the middle of the lineup, we’re expecting him to drive in runs, have some big at-bats for us,” David Wright said.

The 27-year-old Duda has yet to establish himself as a reliable everyday player. In a career-high 121 games last season, he posted just 15 homers and a middling .718 OPS. This season he already has 11 homers and a far better .791 OPS.

On Monday, general manager Sandy Alderson said on WFAN he has not considered Duda a core player yet.

“But I think the jury is still out,” Alderson said. “His situation is a little bit complicated because he’s a little bit out of position. On the other hand, is he a serviceable player making a contribution for us now? Yes, I think he is. That doesn’t make him the next coming. But he does have a lot to offer, and we’ll see what the rest of the season holds.”

It’s hard to dispute Alderson’s point so far. Still, if Duda can blast 29 homers — as he’s on pace to do — that would be a massive help for the Mets lineup. And it could seal his job in left field (or perhaps first base) next year.

“I think this team is good,” Duda said, “despite what people say or what we hear.”