It’s didn’t take very long for Michael Conforto to make his impact on the Mets‘ lineup.
In his first game back after missing 35 games due to a hamstring injury, Conforto went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored in the Mets’ 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
The 28-year-old ripped a double into the right-field corner in his first at-bat, and it was smooth sailing from there, as he helped set the tone from the three spot in the order.
“It’s awesome. Obviously, getting that first one out of the way in that first at-bat is great,” Conforto said after the game. “The process started pretty quick there. It was good to jump right into the action, test the hamstring. I didn’t have any doubt about it, but nevertheless it was good to get a nice, solid run in and from there I just kind of stopped thinking about it and just started thinking about playing the game and focus on playing defense and having good at-bats, and from there we’ll just build off of today.
“It’s good that I get a rest tomorrow and then we’ll see what the plan is for Friday.”
The Mets have dealt with injuries to key players all season long, but with Conforto and Jeff McNeil returning this week, the effect on the overall lineup was clear on Wednesday night. The Mets’ top three hitters in the order – McNeil, Francisco Lindor, and Conforto – combined to go 7-for-13 with a pair of walks, five runs scored, and four RBI, including a Lindor two-run home run.
For a Mets lineup that has been in desperate need of a spark, those three hitters were just what the doctor ordered Wednesday.
“I was able to watch Jeff in Triple-A for a few days. He looked great over there. And to be able to watch Francisco over the last couple of weeks really start to swing the bat well has been really good too,” Conforto said. ” It’s definitely fun to be a part of that group and it was great to jump back into the three hole and be able to come up with a couple hits, score some runs, and help the team win.”
And while it’s obviously huge for the Mets to start getting their key starters back and healthy, Conforto also acknowledged what a tremendous job the “Bench Mob” players have done filling in.
“It’s incredible. It’ every day, it feels like, we get some new guys in here and they jump right in and they’re here to do their job and they do it well,” he said. “I can’t say enough about all the guys who stepped in in tough situations in a really tough league against really good teams.
“It’s been great to see.”