The Cyclones have played over two-thirds of their schedule and trail their rival, the Staten Island Yankees, by three games for the lead in the New York–Penn League’s McNamara Division. But things could have been much different if their prospective starting infield had been on the field together more than it was — which is zero times.
On paper, the infield was going to be the strength of the team.
First baseman Ike Davis finished his junior year at baseball powerhouse Arizona State this spring, hitting .358 with 16 homers and 76 RBI.
The first-round draft pick, 18th overall, missed two weeks at the start of the season because he signed late and another five games more recently when he fouled a ball off his ankle. Expected to be the team’s power hitter, Davis has yet to hit a home run, and he’s hitting only .235.
“Davis needs to make adjustments,” said manager Edgar Alfonzo. “He needs to be more selective at the plate.”
Davis did start his season with at least one hit in his first 15 games, but except for short runs of a game or two, he has been hitting the ball weakly.
At second base, Josh Satin was the prospective starter. The Mets’ sixth-round draft choice hit .379 at Cal–Berkeley this spring, with 18 homers and 52 RBI.
Apparently affected by the layoff between his college and pro seasons (or, possibly, by the shift to a wood bat), Satin was hitless in his first 15 at-bats for the Cyclones. He has started coming around, batting .303 since then to raise his average to .253, and in 26 games at second base, one appearance at third and two games at short, Satin has yet to make an error.
He had been out of the line-up for a few weeks with a bruised knee.
“It’s not bad, but the team wants me to be real cautious with it,” Satin said of his injury.
He returned on Aug. 12, making a pinch-hitting appearance and finishing the game at second base.
At shortstop, Reese Havens, a Mets’ first-round draft pick, 22nd overall, was expected to be a star. He was a third-team All-American who hit .359 with 18 homers this spring for the University of South Carolina.
Bothered by an injured elbow, Havens started the Cyclones’ season on the bench and then was used as the DH. Just as he was ready to play the field, he had a groin pull and missed more games. He returned as a DH and played his first game at shortstop on Aug. 10.
“Havens looked good in the field; he moved well,” said Alfonzo.
Havens, a left-handed hitter, is batting .263 with three homers in 21 games says he’s not used to missing games because of injuries.
“I’ve missed a few games here and there because of little injuries, but never so many as this season,” he said. “I’m not satisfied with my performance. I know I can do better.”
With Davis, Satin, and Havens all healed enough to play the field, the only member of the prospective infield not ready to suit up is Zach Lutz, the third baseman.
Lutz only played in the Cyclones’ first game in 2007, leaving with a broken right foot that was first injured in the pre-season.
After a lengthy rehab over the winter, Lutz returned to play this season, but the foot isn’t completely healthy, and the injury apparently affected his right quadriceps.
Lutz did hit .333 with three homers and 12 RBI in 24 games this year for Brooklyn, but the fifth-round pick of the 2007 draft is now at the Mets’ baseball complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida, rehabbing.
With all of these wounds, the Cyclones have had to scramble in the infield.
J.R. Voyles, who was “called down” from Port St. Lucie to replace Satin, has done well, hitting .292 with three homers and 13 RBI in 65 at-bats. But if Satin were healthy, the Cyclones would have good infield depth with Voyles available at both second and third.
Eric Campbell and Jose Jimenez have both played third in the absence of Lutz. Campbell is hitting .255 with a pair of home runs, and Jimenez is batting .282 with four homers. Both Jimenez and Campbell can also play first base and left field if Lutz returns.
“It’s not an excuse, but all the infield injuries have hurt our performance,” admitted Alfonzo, as the expected strength of the team has been a season-long patchwork unit.
As far as the Cyclones’ pennant chances are concerned, the return of their infield can’t happen fast enough.
