Queens, NY—It has been said that one man’s misfortune may be another’s blessing. In sports, an injury or slump to one player may bring an opportunity to another.
Two Mets players were seriously injured during Sunday’s game at Citi Field. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud suffered a metacarpal fracture of the little finger of his right hand. He will be wearing a splint for the next three weeks before he is re-evaluated as to the next stage of his recovery. Kevin Plawecki was called up from AAA Las Vegas to take his place on the roster and behind the plate.
Relief pitcher Jerry Blevins suffered a distal radius fracture of his left arm in the same game. His arm will be in a spline for six weeks. At that time a decision will be made regarding his future baseball activities. He is being replaced by reliever Hansel Robles, who was also summoned from Las Vegas.
With the Mets averaging over 33,000 a game this homestand, the club wants to continue it’s good will and sell some tickets.
Plawecki saw major league action during the next Mets game on Tuesday night.
At the age of 21, Plawecki was selected by the Mets in the supplemental round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The Indians native had been a celebrated player on his high school team at Westfield (IND) and his college team at Purdue University. In 2012, he was voted Purdue’s Male Athlete of the Year and the MVP of the Big 10 Tournament.
In that very same eventful year for the youngster, he made his professional debut in New York City as a member of the Brooklyn Cyclones, where he led his team in home runs.
In the following year, 2013, he batted a combined .305 with Savannah and St. Lucie. Last year, he began the season with AA Binghamton and moved up to AAA Las Vegas in June. The stiffer competition in those higher leagues did not negatively affect his performances as he batted a combined .309.
He played 11 games with the Mets during the 2015 Spring Training where he impressed Mets skipper Terry Collins and the Mets staff. After Tuesday’s game, Collins Commented, “We all felt that [big league talent] when we saw him in Spring Training. This kid’s going to handle himself fine. He’s going to be a big league player for a long time.”
Plawecki’s first trip to the plate on Tuesday came in the second inning with two out. On a 2-0 count, he lined the ball to the first baseman of the Braves.
He recorded his first major league hit, a single to left, in his time up in the fifth. He kept a rally going that eventually led to four runs. He scored his first big league run that inning on a single by Curtis Granderson.
The major league neophyte singled to lead-off the eighth and scored his second run of the contest on a ground rule double by Granderson.
Plawecki’s contribution to the Mets ninth straight win and 10th straight win at Citi Field was major. Not only did he hit safely twice and score two runs, but he handled five pitchers who collectively held Atlanta to one run.
Of his catcher the 25 year-old remarked, “It’s a very talented group. It makes it easy for me. He said it was the first time he caught Starter Jon Niese, but “everyone was on the same page most of the night.”
A number of Plawecki’s relatives and friends attended the game, of which he said, “It was a great all around night.”