Injury to Conforto Opens Up Outfield Possibilities

In what had been a fairly quiet spring training, the Mets were just going about their business to get ready for the regular season, which begins in 16 days. Gone is the noise of a wild off-season that saw the Mets make headlines on a weekly basis.

That tranquility got disturbed a bit when word came down Tuesday that outfielder Michael Conforto was diagnosed with a right oblique strain, and it is unclear if Conforto will be ready for Opening Day on March 26.

Conforto injured the oblique in Spring Training while making a catch.

The question now is how will the Mets move forward? New York already had a rather tenuous situation in the outfield before this injury, and it only gets worse with this news, considering Conforto was slated to be the Mets everyday right fielder.

Brandon Nimmo and Jake Marisnick were on track to be a platoon in center field, but with Conforto's injury it will likely mean Marisnick will see more action in right. This injury also opens the door for third baseman Jeff McNeil to return to the outfield, something he spent much of the 2019 season doing, although the Mets would rather keep McNeil in the infield.

J.D. Davis, another natural infielder is already tapped to be in the outfield in left. And what does this mean for Yoenis Cespedes?

Cespedes has been running at full speed and hitting in simulated games, but has yet to participate in any spring training contests as he makes he way back from multiple ankle fractures. Two weeks ago, Cespedes broke his media silence and told reporters that he plans to be ready for Opening Day. But for that to happen now would require an accelerated timetable for the Mets and Cespedes.

Then there is unknown. If Conforto were to miss an extended period of time, should the Mets go right ahead and bring in Yasiel Puig who remains unsigned? The answer is simple: No. The Mets already have a Yasiel Puig type in Cespedes. Like Cespedes, Puig is a guy who has tremendous talent, and at one point was one of the games most feared hitters, but his boneheaded actions on and off the field has done him in. The Mets don't need another headache and risk. They need answers.

Plus we don't know what the timetable will be for Conforto. Oblique injuries are tricky. Sometimes they take a couple of weeks; other times months. It depends on the player. One thing the Mets cannot do right now is hit the panic button.