PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Until Sunday, the Mets' plan to try out Jay Bruce or Michael Conforto at first base had been nothing more than idle chatter. The Mets had hoped to spend this spring making several of their players more versatile. But they did not immediately put those plans into action, preferring to let their outfielders focus on what they do best.
That changed this week, when starting first baseman Lucas Duda hobbled into the Mets' clubhouse with a sore back -- a minor issue, he said, but nonetheless a concerning one considering Duda's lengthy history of similar ailments.