WASHINGTON — Bartolo Colon’s last whirl as a 42-year-old was exactly what the Mets have come to expect.
The veteran righty, who turns 43 on Tuesday, was coming off consecutive rough outings — a rarity — but limited the Nationals to one run over seven innings in the Mets’ 7-1 victory on Monday.
Colon later admitted he has battled lower-back soreness for the last two-plus weeks. Not wanting to risk aggravating the back, he kept the bat on his shoulder and was called out on strikes three times.
“I thought it wasn’t worth it to swing,” Colon said. “I swing at the balls pretty hard and I thought, ‘Not worth making my back worse,’ so I told their catcher from the beginning, ‘Just throw it right down the middle, [I’m] not swinging.’ ”
On the mound, Colon is 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA. He was asked if it’s an accomplishment to still be winning games at his age.
“I think so, and back in the day there have been a few players that probably played a little bit longer,” Colon said. “I’m a little older and I’m just real thankful to God that I’m still here.”
For manager Terry Collins, the decision whom to sit Monday against Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez wasn’t much of a debate: Michael Conforto was sent to the bench based partly on the defensive implications.
Collins said he was committed to playing Juan Lagares (2-for-5) based on his strong numbers against lefties, and slumping Curtis Granderson (2-for-4) wasn’t an option for the bench because that would have meant moving Lagares from his strongest position, center field.
Yoenis Cespedes (2-for-4, HR, RBI) started in left and Granderson in right.
“You’re going to take the best center fielder we’ve got and put him in a position, like we already have, in right field?” Collins said. “There’s all sorts of different alignments you can make, but right now we think this is the best way you can go.”
Conforto was hitting only .143 against lefties, but homered on Sunday against the Brewers.
Wilmer Flores (hamstring) had eight at-bats in an extended spring training game and will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Binghamton.
Travis d’Arnaud (rotator cuff strain) continues to work out in Southern California with a personal trainer — he has begun throwing — and will return to Port St. Lucie this week, according to assistant general manager John Ricco.
“He’s still got a little time in front of him before getting back,” Ricco said.
Zack Wheeler’s “spring training” is under way.
The right-hander, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, threw from the slope of a mound Monday and is expected to increase his workouts toward an early-July return to the Mets’ rotation.
WOR radio will rebroadcast Game 6 of the 1986 World Series (with play by play from Bob Murphy and Gary Thorne) on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Mets will celebrate the 30th anniversary of that World Series title — the franchise’s most recent — this weekend.