LOS ANGELES — With the introduction of Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña’s opportunities at second base are expected to decrease, but there might be another position he can consider.
Manager Carlos Mendoza suggested on Tuesday that center field could be an option for Acuña, who had his first experience in that position last month when he played his sole game there.
Jeff McNeil, Mauricio and Acuña are all second base options.
Mauricio started at third base in his season debut on Tuesday.
Much of Acuña’s playing time lately has been as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.
“Center field might be more of a possibility now,” Mendoza mentioned prior to the Mets’ 6-5 defeat in 10 innings against the Dodgers. “We need to keep working on this and find ways to give him playing time there.”
Acuña entered the day with a .590 OPS and 11 stolen bases.
The Mets optioned Max Kranick to Triple-A Syracuse and left-hander Brandon Waddell was recalled to give the Mets a fresh arm in the bullpen a night after every reliever except Reed Garrett pitched in a 10-inning victory.
Wadell pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Mets’ loss on Tuesday night.
Kranick, who surrendered a solo homer to Shohei Ohtani in the seventh inning on Monday, has pitched to a 3.51 ERA in 22 appearances for the Mets this season.
“[Kranick] has been a huge part of that bullpen and that was part of the message to him,” Mendoza said.
Paul Blackburn, who pitched five shutout innings Monday in his first appearance this season, will likely be available to pitch from the bullpen on Friday in Colorado, according to Mendoza.
But Mendoza wasn’t ruling out the possibility of the right-hander recovering enough to potentially pitch if needed a day earlier in the series finale against the Dodgers.
Blackburn was inserted into the rotation as a sixth starter this week, but Mendoza is returning to a five-man rotation.
In a rehab start for Syracuse, Frankie Montas allowed five earned runs on eight hits and one walk over four innings.
He extended to 61 pitches. It was Montas’ third start overall as he rehabs a lat strain that has kept him sidelined since spring training. Montas’ previous two starts were for Single-A Brooklyn.
Mendoza was asked if the decision by the Knicks to fire coach Tom Thibodeau surprised him.
Mendoza sighed.
“When you’re on this seat, man, anything can happen,” Mendoza said.
In a Southern California rarity, rain canceled batting practice.
The tarp was removed from the field about 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch.
