LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Wilmer Flores didn’t survive the Mets’ first exhibition game of the season unscathed, but he isn’t concerned.
The Mets shortstop left Wednesday’s game in the fifth inning after he was drilled in the right pinkie finger by Matt Capps.
Flores’ removal was for precautionary reasons, according to manager Terry Collins, and he won’t need X-rays. Matt Reynolds replaced Flores at shortstop.
“It wasn’t bad,” Flores said after the Mets’ 8-2 victory over the Braves. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
Flores expects to play Thursday against the Nationals, but is unsure if Collins has him on the traveling squad to Viera, Fla.
Flores finished 1-for-2 and was charged with a fielding error on Zoilo Almonte’s grounder in the fourth inning.
Reynolds, the well-regarded 24-year-old who finished last season at Triple-A, went 2-for-3 with an RBI after pinch-running for Flores.
Lucas Duda took 25 swings off a tee for his first hitting activity in three weeks. The slugging first baseman had been sidelined by discomfort in his left rib cage.
“I felt really good, no issues,” Duda said. “I have plenty of time to get where I need to be.”
Duda is expected to repeat the process with hitting coach Kevin Long on Thursday.
A new billboard was unveiled on I-95, about eight miles north of the Mets’ spring training complex, imploring the team’s owners to sell the franchise. It reads: “Fred, Jeff & Saul, Ya Gotta Leave.” The billboard refers to team CEO Fred Wilpon, COO Jeff Wilpon and president Saul Katz. The billboard was paid for by New Hamsphire resident Gary Palumbo.
Additional reporting by Kevin Kernan in Port St. Lucie