Cuddyer is batting. 250 at the major league level in 2015 with 73 hits, eight home runs and 30 RBI in 82 games.
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The Rockies and Mets start a four-game series in New York on Monday, with Colorado’s Jon Gray pitching opposite lefty Jonathon Niese.
Michael Conforto remains with the big league club. There were rumors that Cuddyer could be activated in time for the weekend series the Mets just finished up with the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Mets decided to hold him out.
“Other than that, we have no particular schedule or [know] how much he’s going to play”, Collins told Adam Rubin of ESPN on Sunday.
Surprisingly to some, Cuddyer will also not be guaranteed playing time. And no, there’s no timetable for that column, just like there’s no precise timetable for Wright’s return, though he was 1-for-3 Monday in a rehab game with the Class-A St. Lucie Mets.
Cuddyer was the starting left fielder before taking on a bench role when the pain in his knee flared up in July and prevented him from playing nine innings. He will be in the lineup everyday either in left field or center field.
Cuddyer, in the first year of a two-year, $21 million contract, has struggled for New York. Now, with Cespedes and Johnson aboard, opportunities for Cuddyer to play left will become less frequent.
Cuddyer was not in the lineup Monday, but Collins said he will be Tuesday and Wednesday when the Mets are set to face two lefties. You hit good, you’re in there every day. “You don’t hit good, somebody else is”.
Collins will be helped by Cuddyer, a pro’s pro, who doesn’t seem like the type to let playing-time concerns fester into something. Michael Conforto, the organization’s most heralded offensive prospect, has emerged as a popular player and a viable option in the Mets’ outfield. “One was to join a team that was eager to win and wanted to win now and was excited to win now”, Cuddyer said.
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Meanwhile, the Mets also must decide whether to keep Conforto in the majors or send him down to the minors. “Maybe I haven’t been getting the results that I want but I think the experience has been irreplaceable but I’ve learned a lot to be a better overall player”.
