NEW YORK -- As the Mets prepare to open Summer Camp at Citi Field on Friday, one notable staff member will not be among them.

Hitting coach Chili Davis plans to remain at home in Arizona indefinitely due to concern over the spike of coronavirus cases in that state. Manager Luis Rojas confirmed those plans on a conference call Thursday, saying, “We’re going to get the best of Chili, whether he’s with us at the start of camp or whether he’s working remotely.”

“He’s going to be helping us,” Rojas continued. “He’s an asset. He’s got great knowledge and experience and he helps the players with the hitting, with playing the game. He helps the coaches as well with his view of the game. So he is going to be working remotely, and we’re going to feel his presence with him inputting all the experience and all the repertoire that he can bring to the table.”

• Here are 5 Mets storylines heading into camp

The timetable for Davis, 60, to join the Mets will likely depend upon how coronavirus numbers fluctuate in Arizona over the coming weeks. In the interim, assistant hitting coach Tom Slater will assume Davis’ in-person duties at Citi Field, with help from hitting performance coordinator Ryan Ellis. Davis, who speaks to Rojas on a near-daily basis, will offer what he can from home.

Every other member of the Mets’ coaching staff is in New York, prepared to begin working on Friday. Like all teams, the Mets are taking extreme precautions as they reopen camp for players. At least initially, they plan to split their players into three workout groups to ensure social distancing, beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET and lasting through the early evening. The Mets are also providing educational programs to remind their players of the importance of proper behavior both inside and outside the ballpark.

“We have to overcommunicate,” Rojas said, “just to make sure everyone knows what’s going on, what their role is, how things are and what to expect.”

No matter how much they educate, team officials know the ultimate responsibility lies with the players. According to Rojas, a positive test for any player would realistically force him to the sideline for a minimum of three weeks -- or roughly one-third of the 60-game regular season -- even if he shows no symptoms or recovers from the virus quickly. So far, one member of the Mets’ 40-man roster has tested positive for COVID-19 and was still recovering as of early this week. The team planned to complete intake testing for the 51 members of its 60-man player pool on Thursday afternoon.

Once that’s complete, a club with high expectations will begin working out as efficiently as it can despite the constraints of the current situation.

“It’s a great challenge,” Rojas said. “Last week, I think I grew a few more gray hairs just brainstorming through this. But we’ve had fun, definitely, with the excitement of getting baseball back and going through this path. We’re learning every day on the protocol and the education of how to behave so we can get our baseball activities done and we can get the team prepared.”