Mets need to call up Matt Reynolds

The Mets need to call up Matt Reynolds now and see what he can do for the team, both offensively and defensively.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that the Mets are thinking about trading Daniel Murphy, moving Flores to second base, and promoting Reynolds to shortstop. Still, even before a trade happens—if it does—Reynolds should be in the Mets’ dugout on Friday in Pittsburgh.

On Sunday, Bill Madden wrote that “scouts who have seen Matt Reynolds extensively at Las Vegas last year and this season insist he can more than hold his own as a major-league shortstop who will make all the routine plays.”

Reynolds is hitting .290/.354/.423 and ended last year hitting an impressive .343/.405/.454.

It’s difficult to know what this Mets team is actually capable of offensively after all of the early injuries this season. David Wright is still missing in action and Travis d’Arnaud was cleared to swing, but doesn’t know when he’ll return to the lineup. They were hitting .333/.371/.424 and .317/.356/.537 respectively.

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Though the team has done a good job of staying afloat since their 11-game winning streak in April in spite of even more injuries, it’s time to shake things up, especially in the wake of the lack of offense during this series against the Cardinals.

Wilmer Flores has nine errors. There’s no reason he should be the team’s shortstop when there is a player in AAA capable of not just hitting at least decently, but also making all the routine plays, as Madden wrote.

If the Mets insist on keeping Flores in the lineup, they can put him at shortstop when there’s a pitcher on the mound less susceptible to getting groundball outs. Reynolds, who played third base at the University of Arkansas, could move to third. Right now Eric Campbell is getting overexposed at the position, hitting .224/.333/.343.

Instead of waiting for Wright to come back, the Mets needs to make a move now. Reynolds should be on the left side of the infield by the time the Mets get to Pittsburgh for the weekend. He’d be an improvement for the team both offensively and defensively, and he’d keep the team from sliding in the standings while the Nationals continue to get hot and injured Mets players are not yet ready to return.