PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Before most Mets reported to camp for Thursday's rare spring night game against the Nationals, Michael Conforto was making waves underneath the afternoon sun. Conforto hit for the cycle in a Minor League game, finishing 4-for-5 and playing seven innings in center field.
That came a day after Conforto hit two home runs, both off lefties, in a Minor League intrasquad scrimmage. Conforto has made rapid enough progress that the Mets, who as recently as Wednesday said he would not play in a Grapefruit League game, have changed their tune. He is now scheduled to debut Friday at designated hitter, 6 1/2 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder.
"I've had a lot of good work," Conforto said Wednesday. "I'm starting to feel my legs a little bit, starting to feel like I'm in rhythm with everything."
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The Mets' lone All-Star last year, Conforto remains hopeful that he can beat the Mets' rough timetable of a May 1 return to the big leagues, though he still has several obstacles to overcome -- most notably proving he is fit enough to play center field on a daily basis.
"It's not so much about the shoulder anymore," Conforto said. "It's getting up, hitting, going out to the field, standing out there, going to make some plays and then coming back again. I don't anticipate any problems there. I've been doing all my conditioning, trying to make sure I can simulate it as best I can. But we've got to do things the right way."