Davis gets another start at first base in finale

ATLANTA -- Ike Davis got the start over Lucas Duda at first base in the Mets' series finale against the Braves on Thursday night. Duda, who homered twice in New York's 4-3 win against Cincinnati on April 4, is batting .105 (2-for-19) otherwise.

Mets manager Terry Collins named Duda his starting first baseman following the Mets' season-opening series against the Nationals at Citi Field. New York started a different first baseman -- Duda, Davis and Josh Satin -- in the first three games of the season for the first time in franchise history.

"I told Ike the other day he was going to play [Thursday]," Collins said Thursday. "As a matter of fact, he came in to make sure he was in the lineup. I said, 'Hey, I told you you're going to play. You're going to play.'"

Collins wants to give Satin a start when the team opens a three-game series against the Angels on Friday, but he plans to give Duda three starts at first for every four games moving forward, with Davis likely making a start every fourth day.

Davis, who has made two starts this season, is batting .400 (4-for-10) with a home run, a double, a walk and four RBIs.

"I just think it's important to keep Ikey sharp as we can, because he'll be coming off the bench in big situations," Collins said. "So, we need to get him at-bats."

Meanwhile, Collins likes some of what he has seen from Duda this season, but believes the former USC Trojan is pressing. Duda was sidelined for three weeks in March due to a left hamstring strain.

"I know that due to the fact that he didn't get the amount [of at-bats] we wanted in Spring Training, he's probably, knowing Lucas, he really wants to step up and be the go-to guy," Collins said. "So it's going to be a matter of hopefully getting him calmed down to where he goes back and uses the field to hit a little bit more."