PORT ST. LUCIE — Plan B at first base for the Mets could be Jay Bruce.
The veteran outfielder likely will receive a look at first base in spring training, according to Terry Collins, as the manager attempts to find at-bats for all his outfielders and establish an insurance policy on Lucas Duda.
“Just because Lucas has had some injury issues, I think we’ve probably got to have Jay do some work over there,” Collins said Tuesday. “Not push it on him, because he still is going to play the outfield. But we have just got to make sure we have another option there, especially if something happens to Lucas where we’ve got a left-handed bat that can go over there.”
Duda missed most of last season with a stress fracture in his back. Wilmer Flores provides a right-handed option at first base, but the Mets would want Bruce’s steady power at the position if Duda needed an extended absence.
Earlier this week Collins indicated he was backing off the idea to try Michael Conforto at first base.
Collins has told Travis d’Arnaud he will be asked to play about 100 games this season. The oft-injured catcher played a career-high 107 games in 2014.
Last season, d’Arnaud slumped offensively and defensively — and spent almost two months on the disabled list.
“He’s got a lot to do — there’s a lot on his shoulders, he’s aware of that,” Collins said. “We’re going to try to take both sides of the ball and make sure he gets enough time to do what he needs to do, correct his swing, be more consistent with his swing, and yet, not kill him to the point where all of a sudden his ribs hurt and he has an oblique strain because he’s swung the bat a thousand times.
“Also, on the other side of the ball, get his throwing to where it was a couple of years ago.”
Ty Kelly cleared waivers and was out-righted to Triple-A Las Vegas.
The Mets will bring him to spring training as a non-roster invitee.