NEW YORK — Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud has been placed on the disabled list for the fifth straight season.
New York said he has a strained right rotator cuff, an injury the team hopes can heal quickly without surgery and won’t cause a lengthy layoff.
“There’s two positions where arm injuries can be pretty devastating, and one is behind the plate,” manager Terry Collins said. “It’s certainly something we’ve got to keep a close eye on.”
Cincinnati runners were 5 for 5 in stolen-base attempts Monday against d’Arnaud and pitcher Noah Syndergaard, and d’Arnaud left in the eighth inning after feeling discomfort while trying to throw out a base stealer. D’Arnaud said he’d never experienced that feeling. He had an MRI on Tuesday and was examined by Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek.
“I think it will heal very quickly,” d’Arnaud said. “I thought it was just a little thing.”
While at Triple-A Las Vegas, he tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in 2012 and did not play after June 25. The following year with the 51s, be broke a bone in his left foot on April 17 and did not return until July 31. Less than three weeks later, he made his big league debut.
In 2014 with the Mets, he was on the DL because of a concussion from May 14-29 and did not play after Sept. 23 because of a bone chip in his right elbow that needed surgery. Last year, he went on the DL from April 21-June 10 because a broken little finger in his right hand and from June 21-July 30 due to a strained left elbow.
“Certainly it’s been tough to keep him on the field, but we’ve seen enough highlights that we know what the potential is,” Collins said. “Are we going to get to see it? You can only hope the answer to that would be yes.”
Kevin Plawecki becomes the starting catcher in d’Arnaud’s absence. He is hitting .176 (3 for 17) this season and had three homers and 21 RBIs despite a .219 average last year, when his playing time increased with d’Arnaud getting hurt.
“The history had said, look, there’s going to be playing time here and at-bats here,” Collins said. “Everybody that’s ever had him think he’s going to hit, and so here’s another opportunity to show those people that they’re right.”
Rene Rivera will back up Plawecki after his contract was selected from Las Vegas. New York transferred right-hander Zack Wheeler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, to the 60-day disabled list.
D’Arnaud has thrown out just 18 percent of base stealers (27 of 147) in his big league career. While Collins hopes Plawecki can produce offensively and defensively, he expects d’Arnaud to return to his starting job. Still, while speaking about d’Arnaud, he brought up the player whose job was taken by Lou Gehrig.
“I don’t think he looks over his shoulder,” the manager said, “but neither did Wally Pipp.”
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