The New York Mets have a problem now that Lucas Duda is injured and out for quite a while, but it doesn’t seem like this is going to be a problem that can be resolved from within.
The Mets will be looking to sign a first baseman or infielder to replace Duda, whose back problems will keep him out for at least four weeks, probably six and it’s not out of the question that he’ll be out for much longer than that.
So what are the Mets’ options? The free agency market isn’t exactly filled with talent at this point. In their most recent win over the Washington Nationals, it was Eric Campbell who filled in. The 29-year old is batting .200 this season and .230 for his career with .319 slugging and a .640 OPS. Duda was batting .231 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs, providing .431 slugging and a .727 OPS. Ty Kelly is another option the Mets have, but he hasn’t played a single game in the majors as of now.
Other options the Mets have include shifting players around: Wilmer Flores, David Wright or Neil Walker can play first base, but that obviously hits the Mets in a different area. There’s also the option of moving an outfielder into the infield, but the Mets aren’t that happy about all of these paths, preferring to see if they can add a first baseman, or maybe trade for one. But trades are difficult to make at this point of the season, so some minor addition at best is probably the most likely scenario as the Mets try to get over this blow, and keep their strong start to the 2016 season (26-18) going.