Mets' Mark Vientos: In mix for bench spot
Vientos could open the season on the 26-man roster if Darin Ruf gets placed on the injured list due to his sore wrist, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Ruf has done little in a Mets uniform since being picked up from the Giants last season, and his sore wrist has limited him to only 13 plate appearances so far this spring, in which he's managed two hits and struck out five times. Vientos, meanwhile, has gone 11-for-36 (.308) with three doubles and two homers, although his 1:14 BB:K is a giant red flag that he isn't going to maintain that kind of batting average for very long. The 23-year-old would also offer more defensive versatility in a bench role than Ruf. The veteran slugger still has some time left this spring to prove his wrist is 100 percent and re-establish himself as a right-handed platoon option, but if the Mets decide to shut him down, Vientos appears to be the most likely candidate to benefit.
