PORT ST. LUCIE — The phone call came late the previous night to Michael Conforto and was succinct: Was he available to DH for the Mets on Friday in a Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals?
On the opposite end of the phone, manager Mickey Callaway knew he probably didn’t have to ask, as Conforto had patiently awaited this opportunity for weeks. So there was Conforto atop the Mets’ lineup Friday at First Data Field, filling a familiar role and trying to prove to team brass his rehab from left-shoulder surgery is complete.
Conforto went 1-for-4 in the Mets’ 5-1 loss, punching a single through the second-base hole in his final at-bat, against former teammate Sean Gilmartin.