PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — As his old friends on the Mets trickled onto the field for batting practice, Ruben Tejada sat alone in the visitors’ clubhouse at Tradition Field.
It had been 10 days since his release from the Mets, six since his signing with the Cardinals. With spring training winding down, changing hotels would have been a bigger hassle than it was worth.
So, Tejada remained in town, which is why his first game against the Mets began with him beating his new teammates to the clubhouse, looking every bit like the new kid in school.