Mets plan to activate 3B/OF J.D. Davis off IL

After spending more than two months on the injured list, third baseman/outfielder J.D. Davis will be activated by the Mets in advance of Friday’s game, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). He’s on the 60-day injured list, so a corresponding move will be required.

Davis, 28, will bring plenty of offensive punch back to the Mets lineup and presumably slot back into the mix at the hot corner and in the corner outfield mix. He was out to a massive .390/.479/.610 start through 48 plate appearances. Since being acquired by the Mets in the 2018-19 offseason, Davis has posted an outstanding .295/.377/.491 batting line and swatted 30 long balls in 730 plate appearances.

Glovework is an issue with regard to Davis, who made three errors in his first 13 games at third base this season and carries an overall career mark of -21 Defensive Runs Saved there in just 864 innings. The Mets have been connected to potential third-base upgrades even with Davis on the mend, and he has ample experience in left field plus a bit at first base, so it’s possible he could bounce around the diamond or find a more permanent home at another position. Utilityman Jonathan Villar has been spending considerable time at third base in Davis’ absence, but he’s not exactly a premium defensive option himself.

Wherever he ends up playing, Davis showed on his minor league rehab assignment that he looks plenty ready to return to the big leagues. He logged 13 games with the Mets’ top affiliate in Syracuse and posted a .306/.457/.667 batting line with three home runs and four doubles in 46 plate appearances. Given that the Mets rank 23rd in the majors in runs scored and 24th in wRC+ over the past month, Davis’ bat will be a welcome addition to the batting order.