Injuries happen. Unfortunately, they are a large part of the game and how it is managed. No one on the Mets should understand this more than Lucas Duda, whose career with the Mets has been hindered with many injuries. Since his debut in 2010, Duda has sustained three lower back injuries. The latest injury Duda has sustained is a hyper-extended elbow, which he suffered on April 20th. These injuries have piled up in an unflattering way for Duda over the past couple of seasons.
It could be even more detrimental to Duda’s health that the injuries have occurred to his lower back. As a first baseman, it is required of Duda to be able to bend down and get low for balls thrown at him. There must be a significant strain on his lower back, which he has already injured three times. While there is no guarantee that another injury will occur, there is also no guarantee that it won’t happen. After all, Duda is a repeat offender on the back injuries. How can you consistently rely on a player when he spends a good amount of time on the disabled list?
When Duda is hurt, the Mets often scramble to find a solution to the issue. Last season, James Loney was the answer. So far this season, Jay Bruce has substituted for Duda at first. While playing Bruce there gives more flexibility to fitting bats into the lineup, it is imperative that the Mets have a consistent first baseman.
When Duda is in the lineup, he is a dangerous threat that puts opposing teams on guard. He has crazy power, and can provide RBIs in crucial situations. For Duda though, his inconsistencies are almost as noticeable as his power. He is a notoriously streaky hitter. His 2015 season is a perfect example of how streaky Duda can be. During a dry month of June, Duda only hit one home run. He caught fire in the second half of July though, and popped out nine home runs that month. While at times it can prove to be exciting, Duda’s torrents of streaks can also be costly to a team.
It may come as no surprise to some that when sluggers struggle, so does their team. When Duda struggled in June of 2015, so did the Mets. In fact, the Mets finished the month three games under .500. Adversely, when Duda became hot in July, so did the team. The Mets finished the month a game over .500, and only improved from there on. Of course the team does not solely rely on Duda for offense. When Duda is producing at a consistent clip, or is at least hot at the moment, he instantly makes the lineup more dangerous.
Duda is a mixed bag player for the Mets. His often occurring lower back injuries often prove to be a bugaboo for the team. Health, especially his lower back health, has affected Duda and his playing time. When he is on the field, Duda can be a dangerous slugger at the plate. He often has problems consistently putting up numbers though. With a reputation of being a streaky hitter that has a weaker lower back, Duda needs to try his best to break that label. If he doesn’t, his days as the Mets first baseman may be numbered.
You said “Adversely, when Duda became hot in July, so did the team.”
LOL. I think you mean “conversely.”
Yes, I did make a writing error there, thank you.
His tenure as a Met is clearly over.
Duda would definitely fit better in an American League lineup, as a designated hitter.