PORT ST. LUCIE — Mark Vientos went hitless in two at-bats Friday against Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore, a small sample within a 1-for-31 spring about which both Vientos and Carlos Mendoza keep telling us: “Nothing to see here; move along.”
Except Vientos has one of the smallest jobs you can have and still be thought to have regular work in the majors. He is slated to open this season as the designated hitter against lefty pitching — so little to no fielding, few at-bats against righties and no pinch-running. And he will need to hit in that contained role to justify expanding it.
And it is not exactly like there are going to be tons of opportunities. The Mets are expected to face righty starters in their first five games against Pittsburgh and St. Louis. It is not until Game 6, when the Cardinals will send their Opening Day starter out, that Vientos could be guaranteed a lineup spot— against Liberatore.
His strikeout and grounder to short versus Liberatore stand in for an uninspiring spring by Vientos and the narrow pathway he faces — barring injuries or underperformance elsewhere — to gain more chances. He is going to have to succeed against lefties like Liberatore to do more than hit against just lefties like Liberatore. Or if it lines up in Series 3 and 4 against the Giants’ Robbie Ray or the Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez.
