Mets to replace injured Duda with Flores at 1st base

With Lucas Duda out indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his lower back, the New York Mets are getting creative to fill their void at first base.

Wilmer Flores, a middle infielder with just two games at first base since making his MLB debut in 2013, is poised to become the club's regular first baseman upon his return from the disabled list, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. The Mets are optimistic Flores - who hasn't played since May 10 due to a left hamstring strain - will be back Friday when he first becomes eligible to come off the DL.

Flores, who went 2-for-3 for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday in his first rehab game, will have some big shoes to fill when he gets to Queens. After stumbling through the first two weeks of the 2016 campaign, Duda managed an .834 OPS with seven homers in his last 28 games before landing on the disabled list Monday.

"He's a huge piece of our team," Collins told Maria Guardado of NJ.com after placing Duda on the DL. "This guy is a legitimate big bat in the middle of our lineup. Somebody's got to step up and pick up some of that load. We don't have that kind of a guy that's going to hit 25 to 30 (home runs), but we've got to space it out amongst everybody else."

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Though the Mets are ready to hand Flores the reins, the 24-year-old didn't exactly enjoy the most auspicious start to his season. In 19 games before hurting his hamstring, the 24-year-old hit just .180/.255/.280 with one home run and two doubles.