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Brett Batey drives in a run in his first season.
Brett Batey extends the Mets’ lead against the Dodgers with an RBI single.
LOS ANGELES — On Monday, prized prospect Brett Batey was called up by the Mets, immediately stepped into the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers and delivered an RBI single in his second at-bat as New York won its fifth straight. Game.
Bati replaces veteran Eduardo Escobar at third base after an impressive start in the minors this season. A 2019 first-round draft pick, the 23-year-old batter was batting .400 (14-for-35) with 5 home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.386 OPS in nine games at Triple-A Syracuse.
“I’ve been playing well, but now it’s a new challenge to tackle,” Batey said in front of the locker room at Dodger Stadium. “I’m just going to come here and try to continue putting good things together. [at-bats] And play good defense for the team.
Batty, a left-handed hitter, started third and batted eighth against Dodgers right-hander Dustin May on Monday night. He went 1-for-4, with a double and a single, driving in a run in a three-run fourth as the Mets beat the Dodgers 8-6.
“Brett has a great attitude to him,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said after the game. “Our young people bring a healthy respect, but they’re not intimidated by it, I think they’re enjoying themselves. I’d love to be their age and live through it.”
Batey is expected to get most of the playing time at third, with days off especially if they don’t match up well against left-handed pitchers.
“We’re not going to commit there,” Showalter said when asked if Pregame Batty would play more days moving forward. “We make sure we use everyone’s talents. There are things we can do by doing that.”
Escobar, 34, was hitting .125 with 1 homer, 6 RBIs and a .402 OPS in 14 games for the Mets. The switch-hitter is making $9.5 million in the second season of a two-year contract. New York buys the $9 million option for next year for $500,000.
Batey homered in his first major league game last August in Atlanta. He played 11 games for the Mets before a thumb injury ended his season. Last year in the majors he hit .184 with 2 homers, 5 RBIs and a .586 OPS.
Batey is ranked No. 2 among Mets prospects and No. 19 in baseball by MLB.com. Drafted 12th overall in 2019 out of Lake Travis High School in Texas.
“I try to be very grounded, I try to be present in each moment, I try not to think too far into things and just deal with what I’m doing that day,” Baty said. “I’ve had that mindset throughout my career and it’s really paid off.”
New York recalled right-hander Edwin Uceta from Syracuse. Backup outfielder Tim Locastro was placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms and right-hander Jose Buto was optioned to Syracuse.
Butto made his second major league start in Oakland on Sunday and allowed one run in five-plus innings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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