NY Mets will play Bo Bichette at shortstop Friday against Cardinals

Bo Bichette is heading back to shortstop for one day. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the NY Mets will start Bichette at shortstop Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals — the only time this spring he’ll line up anywhere other than third base. The reason is straightforward: manager Carlos Mendoza wants Bichette comfortable enough at SS to serve as an emergency option behind Francisco Lindor, in the event the Mets break camp without a traditional backup at the position.

Lindor had surgery on a broken hamate bone in his left hand earlier this spring but has returned to in-game action over the past week and remains on track for Opening Day on March 26.

What It Means for the Roster

The Mets’ plan for Bichette was always third base, and that hasn’t changed. What Friday does is give the organization a credible fallback without dedicating a roster spot to cover it. With Bichette capable of sliding over in a pinch, Vidal Brujan — a natural candidate for the backup SS role — becomes easier to keep in Triple-A Syracuse. Brujan is on a split contract that pays him $850,000 at the big league level and $500,000 in the minors, so the financial math already favored sending him down.

Ronny Mauricio was optioned to Syracuse on Thursday as well, despite hitting .313 with a .920 OPS in 32 spring at-bats. He still has minor league options remaining, which made the decision easier to execute even if the performance didn’t necessarily call for it.

The roster spot that opens up figures to go toward the outfield, where Carson Benge and Mike Tauchman are still competing for the starting right field job. Both have had strong camps. Benge has been treated as the frontrunner given the investment the Mets have made in his development, but Tauchman has a minor league contract opt-out on March 25 — one day before Opening Day — meaning New York essentially has to decide on him before the season starts. The flexibility created by Bichette’s SS rep gives the Mets room to carry both players through the final days of camp rather than forcing a premature cut.

With a week until the regular season opens, the Mets are tightening the roster around the edges. Friday’s lineup card is a small detail. The decisions it enables are not.