The Mets are still trying to figure out whether their potential experimentation with Yoenis Cespedes at first base will come during the season or wait until spring training.
Cespedes was expected to run bases in Port St. Lucie on Thursday, one of his final hurdles before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment for the club.
As reported by The Post’s Joel Sherman on Wednesday, the veteran outfielder has been taking grounders at first base and is open to playing the position.
But manager Mickey Callaway is unsure about the logistics.
“Right now our focus is to get him back to the big leagues as a left fielder and let him do some ground balls while he is in rehab,” Callaway said before the Mets lost to the Nationals, 5-4, at Citi Field.
Cespedes has spent the past two months on the disabled list rehabbing from a hip flexor and quadriceps injury.
“He is definitely taking some ground balls over [at first base] just to kind of initially evaluate where he’s at and if it’s even an option for this year,” Callaway said.
“Or is it something that needs to be, if he does it, does it need to be introduced in the offseason and let him have a full spring training?”
Amed Rosario’s strong recent play wasn’t enough to keep him in the lineup Thursday night.
In something of a headscratcher, Callaway put the second-year shortstop on the bench in favor of a left side of the infield that featured Jose Bautista and Jose Reyes against Nationals ace Max Scherzer.
Rosario entered play with a .429 on-base percentage over his previous 11 games.
Reyes, who was 0-for-3 on Thursday, is 10-for-32 (.312) lifetime against Scherzer while Bautista is 11-for-23 (.478) after going 2-for-3 with a solo home run.
Rosario, who pinch-hit in the ninth and bounced into a game-ending double play, was expected to start the final three games before the All-Star break.
Callaway is anticipating the alignment of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz to face the Yankees next weekend in the Subway Series.
Syndergaard will be removed from the disabled list Friday to face the Nationals in his first start since May 25.
“We are obviously playing a big series when we get back [from the All-Star break], and that will be nice to have our big horses to line up and try to get the second half in the direction we want it to go,” Callaway said.
“Obviously the first half was not a success and it’s unacceptable, so coming out of the break we’re going to line our guys up to have the most success possible from a winning standpoint and go from there.”