PORT ST. LUCIE — Amed Rosario sat out for a fourth straight day with a left leg injury and wasn’t on the travel roster for Thursday’s game in West Palm Beach or Friday’s in Lakeland, and neither was Dominic Smith.
Manager Mickey Callaway said the extended absences of both rookies “can be concerning, a little bit.”
“Those guys need at-bats,” Callaway said after Wednesday’s 11-4 loss to the Yankees at First Data Field. “They need reps in the field. We want Rosario to be the best defender he can possibly be and he’s missing some valuable days.”
Callaway said he still hopes to have Rosario on the field for Opening Day, but acknowledged the possibility that could be impacted if he doesn’t return to game action soon.
“Now, is it gonna hold him out for the start of the season?” Callaway said of Rosario’s absence since being pulled from Saturday’s game with tightness in his left knee. “Four days probably wouldn’t, but it’s valuable reps and playing time they’re missing. So it’s a concern.”
Rosario and the Mets seem to have narrowed down the injury, at least. After initially reporting an issue with his knee, the shortstop said on Wednesday that the knee felt fine, but he was still suffering from a sore groin.
“Fortunately, I feel better about my knee, but maybe I was trying to take care of the knee so much that I felt some soreness in the groin area,’’ Rosario said through an interpreter.
Rosario added the groin began bothering him “a couple of days” after the initial knee injury.
He added he hadn’t experienced leg issues before and remained confident he would return to the field soon.
Callaway and Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke briefly before Wednesday’s game at First Data Field as both first-time managers adjust to their new jobs.
“We haven’t gotten to discuss in-depth what it’s been like,” Callaway said.
But Callaway added he believes he’s dealing well with the challenges he’s been faced with after previously serving only as a pitching coach.
“Trying to make sure the position players are ready,’’ Callaway said of the biggest change. “I’ve always had a good feel for how to get pitchers ready for the season. Position players, I haven’t had to do that before.”
Jacob deGrom (lower-back stiffness) played catch Wednesday and Callaway said he is scheduled to make his first start of the spring “probably” Sunday against Houston. DeGrom, who threw two innings of a simulated game on Tuesday, still has to throw a bullpen before he is cleared to start in a game.
Anthony Swarzak (strained left calf) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and felt fine. He still needs to run before he declares himself ready for the regular season.
Tony Clark, the MLBPA executive director, continued his tour of team camps by visiting the Mets on Wednesday.
Todd Frazier, who was caught up in the free-agent slowdown this offseason before agreeing to a deal with the Mets last month, said he warned young players that “this could happen to you five years from now.”
Travis d’Arnaud hit his first homer of the spring and caught three scoreless innings from Zack Wheeler and three more solid frames from Robert Gsellman against the Yankees.
While Mickey Callaway praised most of the pitchers vying for a spot, he also noted that Rafael Montero was the exception. The right-hander, who is out of options and had been having a decent spring, gave up five runs in a third of an inning.
Jose Reyes, filling in at short while Amed Rosario nurses a leg injury, can still start a nifty 6-4-3 double play, which he did on a Brandon Drury grounder in the third.
The Mets travel to West Palm Beach to face the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. with Noah Syndergaard on the mound.