Curtis Granderson Gets the Boot in the New York Mets’ Lineup Tonight

New York Mets manager Terry Collins has given Curtis Granderson the day off, replacing the struggling OF with Juan Lagares.
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]urtis Granderson will not be a part of the New York Mets‘ lineup tonight starting against Atlanta Braves knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, as Juan Lagares will get the nod in center field and batting eighth.Tonight's Mets-Braves game will feature the two lowest OBPs in MLB among qualified players:
-Curtis Granderson, .177
-Dansby Swanson, .202— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 2, 2017
On the season, Grandy has hit just .124/.177/.213 with a homer, six RBIs and 23 strikeouts over 96 plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Lagares hasn’t hit much better, batting .167/.259/.208 with a double through 27 plate appearances. But what the former Gold Glove winner does provide is just that, a superior glove and throwing arm at the most important outfield position.
Granderson is currently mired in a 1-for-31 slump, leading to he and a few of his struggling teammates taking early batting practice ahead of tonight’s 7:35 game time in Atlanta.
Curtis Granderson among a large contingent of Mets out taking early batting practice today. He's in a 1-for-31 slump. pic.twitter.com/8qZ3boPgnS
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 2, 2017
If Granderson’s significant struggles continue for the foreseeable future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him maintain a bench role, especially when Yoenis Cespedes makes his eventual disabled list return, while Jay Bruce and Michael Conforto are showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
[sc name=”Mets Link Next” link=”https://elitesportsny.com/2017/05/02/new-york-mets-4-unorthodox-ways-to-turn-around-the-2017-season/” text=”New York Mets: 4 Unorthodox Ways to Turn Around the 2017 Season” ]Chris recently graduated with a Journalism degree from Montclair State University. Baseball is his love and he hopes to bring back some of the old-school popularity to the game.
Chris Thompson covers the NY Jets and NY Mets for Elite Sports NY. You can interact with him on Twitter @Time2Topher.