UPDATE: Cuddyer has been activated from the disabled list and the Mets sent Eric Campbell to Triple-A Las Vegas.
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A significant roster move is imminent for the New York Mets. Outfielder Michael Cuddyer will be activated from the disabled list on Monday before the team's game against the Colorado Rockies and someone will be sent down to the minors.
Rumors suggest it's between Michael Conforto and Eric Campbell, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. General manager Sandy Alderson has a tough decision to make today.
As of right now, there's some hope for Conforto - the organization's top hitting prospect - to remain with the team.
"After going 0-for-7 with two walks (one intentional) in a pair of rehab games with Class A St. Lucie, Michael Cuddyer is due to rejoin the Mets on Monday," Rubin wrote earlier today.
"Alderson seemingly must decide whether to demote Michael Conforto or Eric Campbell. Alderson did declare Sunday that development will take a back seat to fielding the best 25-man big-league roster, which may bode well for Conforto."
However, Daniel Popper and Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News indicate he may not have such luck.
"But with the Mets set to activate Cuddyer from the disabled list Monday, one player will have to go to make room. And all signs point to Conforto, with the Mets set to face five lefties next week and manager Terry Collins remaining steadfast that at-bats in the minors trump big-league bench experience."
The 22-year-old made his MLB debut prior to the non-waiver trade deadline when Cuddyer was placed on the disabled list with a knee injury and the youngster has been a good source of offense for the Mets, who have struggled to score runs before acquiring Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers.
Conforto is batting .222/.326/.389 in 11 games (36 at-bats), but he has nine runs scored, one home run and eight RBIs during his short time in the MLB, including the game-tying ninth-inning RBI double against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday and his three-run blast (first career home run) to start the rout of the Miami Marlins last Monday.
Rubin also noted Collins did not promise Cuddyer any playing time upon his return, which could means there's a decent possibility Conforto and his bat stay in the MLB. The Mets' outfield situation is a bit complicated because Cespedes and Juan Lagares will switch off in center field depending on who is pitching for the opposition, which means whoever is playing left field when Lagares is in center will be displaced because Cespedes will move over there.
However, right fielder Curtis Granderson has struggled mightily against left-handed pitching (.159/.196/.227 stat line) and Collins indicated Cuddyer could get some time when the Mets are facing a lefty. Perhaps Conforto could be an option in that situation as well (even though he's a left-handed hitter) since he batted .333/.414/.490 against left-handed pitchers (51 at-bats) during his stint at Double-A Binghamton before his promotion.
The conundrum here is that the Mets need all the offensive help they can get, but they also want Conforto to get consistent at-bats in any way possible. When Cuddyer is activated the Mets may have Cespedes, Lagares, Granderson, Conforto and Kelly Johnson as options in the outfield too, which means someone will be on the bench for a while unless Collins opts to use more of a platoon system.
"It's not about getting Michael Conforto playing time, it's about winning," Collins told Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com. "If we can find those spots where I can get him enough playing time, and we're talking about three weeks now, Sept. 1, you can have many guys as you need. He's done a nice job, he's going to be a good player, we're doing the best we can to make sure he gets the playing time that we think when he's in there."