This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
NEW YORK -- Giants outfielder Michael Conforto took a ride through his old Upper East Side neighborhood on Friday morning, though the circumstances were far from ideal.
When he played for the Mets, Conforto lived across the street from the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he found himself undergoing an MRI exam on the left hamstring he injured in Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays. The scan revealed only a minor fascia strain, but the ailment is expected to threaten his availability for this weekend’s series at Citi Field.
The Giants felt optimistic enough about the results to avoid putting Conforto on the injured list for now, opting instead to option David Villar to Triple-A Sacramento to clear a roster spot for veteran starter Alex Cobb.
“I was looking forward to stepping in the box and playing in front of these fans again,” Conforto said before Friday's series opener. “It’s kind of heartbreaking a little bit. We’re still trying to figure out what the move is going to be for me. I have some stuff that I’m going to do to see if I can make it into a game this weekend. It’s something that I want to do, but we also have to think about the rest of the season.”
A first-round Draft pick in 2014, Conforto spent the first seven years of his career in New York and once thought he’d end up becoming a lifelong Met. While his former teammates Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil signed multiyear deals to stay in New York, Conforto decided to test free agency after the 2021 season, though he encountered a major setback after undergoing right shoulder surgery, which forced him to sit out the entire 2022 campaign.
After a year of rehabbing on his own, Conforto finally found a new home with the Giants, who signed the 30-year-old slugger to a two-year, $36 million contract over the offseason. The Seattle native and Oregon State product has enjoyed being back on the West Coast, but he still feels deep ties to New York.
When the Giants crossed the border on their way back from Toronto, Conforto said the customs agent recognized him without even having to glance at his passport. After arriving at the ballpark, he said hello to Big Dom, the security guard who greeted him before every game at Citi Field. He also saw plenty of familiar faces during his appointment at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
“A lot of people at HSS know me,” Conforto said. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but they recognize me.”
The Mets played a tribute video for J.D. Davis and Conforto before Friday’s game, with Conforto appearing to tear up as he tipped his cap to the fans and tapped his chest in a show of gratitude.
“It’s the beginning of my professional career,” Conforto said. “It’s where I grew up as a ballplayer and as a young man. I started dating my wife out here. New York will always be a massive part of who I am. That’s a really special thing to me. I’m sure there will be some emotions.”