The Mets finally get their best outfielder back.
Mets outfielder Juan Lagares has been activated from the 15-day disabled list and will be in the lineup tonight against the Colorado Rockies. He suffered a pulled right hamstring on April 14 in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and missed the Mets' last thirteen games. The team has optioned Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Lagares.
Before his injury, Lagares was the Mets' most productive outfielder, hitting one home run and driving in seven runs, while batting .314 with an .816 OPS in 55 plate appearances. The team managed to maintain an above-.500 record, his absence notwithstanding.
Nieuwenhuis wasn't that bad in his latest stint with the Mets. He had one home run and five RBI to go along with a .730 OPS in 21 plate appearances. Although not of the same defensive caliber as Lagares, he held his own in the outfield. Still, his return to Triple-A Las Vegas was inevitable.