by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (5/12/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda hit his eighth home run during a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh Sunday. Duda was inserted into the five-hole in the batting order behind Ike Davis as manager Terry Collins grouped the left-handed sluggers together for the first time this season.
It was also his second start in the past four games as he lost playing time in left field to Andrew Brown during the series. Duda finished 1 for 4 with the solo shot in the second inning. Seven of his eight homers have been solo.
Lucas Duda gets a day off Thursday
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (5/9/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Pirates.
Duda will be replaced by Andrew Brown in left. Brown will bat seventh. Duda, who hit his seventh home run of the season Wednesday night, is receiving a regular day off. He should return to the starting lineup Friday.
Lucas Duda adds homer to three-strikeout game
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (5/8/2013) Mets left fielder Lucas Duda connected for his seventh home run of the season Wednesday against the White Sox but struck out in each of his other three at-bats. His seven home runs are second on the Mets, but Duda has only driven in 11 runs this season.
His batting average remained at .239 with the 1-for-4 effort.
Lucas Duda abiding to discipline
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (5/5/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda has earned plenty of praise for his newfound plate discipline this season as he's swung at just 33.5 percent of his pitches in 103 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs. As a result, Duda ranks among the major-league leaders with a .417 on-base percentage and .538 slugging percentage -- dramatic turnarounds from marks of .329 and .389 in those categories a year ago.
But that strict approach at the plate has hurt his chances with runners in scoring position. Duda is hitting just .133 with just two singles and two RBI in that situation while drawing eight walks, hardly the type of production the Mets are looking for when he serves as the cleanup hitter.
"A lot of times he wants to see what the pitcher's got. I totally understand that. But once you get into the game, in the at-bat, and there's guys in scoring position, and that guy lays a good pitch there, I want guys to be able to do some damage on it -- especially a guy like him that can hit the ball out of the ballpark," hitting coach Dave Hudgens told The Star-Ledger.
Lucas Duda drawing a plethora of walks
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (5/1/2013) Mets left fielder Lucas Duda went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's win over the Marlins, but he did draw his 21st walk of the season. He's now second in the majors in walks behind Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who has 27.
The patience has resulted in a .250/.424/.513 in 99 plate appearances this year. His on-base percentage ranks fourth in the National League among qualified hitters.
Pick up Lucas Duda already
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/26/2013) How the Mets' Lucas Duda remains unowned in 30 percent of leagues is beyond me. His .459 on-base percentage is third in all of baseball, worse than only Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto. His .600 slugging percentage is 13th in all of baseball, better than Prince Fielder, Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Gonzalez, among others.
He's back to being the player he was in the second half of 2011, when he hit .316 with a .932 OPS, and the "monster" so many within the Mets organization have described him to be.
Granted, he disappointed in 2012, so maybe the fool-me-once mentality is having some say here. But as someone who stuck his neck out for Duda last year, I'm not letting sour grapes distract me from what's happening now.
Lucas Duda quiet in cleanup debut
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (4/25/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda had a chance to make a big impact in his first game as the cleanup hitter Thursday against the Dodgers, but he came up nearly empty.
Duda went 1 for 4 in the game, and one of his outs came in one of the biggest spots in the game. Down 3-2 in the eighth inning, Duda stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and one out. He was retired on a flyball, essentially ending the Mets' threat.
Duda is batting .273 with five home runs and eight RBI. He has 17 walks and 19 strikeouts in 55 at-bats, and a 1.059 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Lucas Duda likely to be a Super Two player
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (4/25/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda is on pace to qualify as a Super Two, meaning he would be eligible for arbitration a season earlier than expected.
If Duda meets the requirements, he would be eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career this upcoming offseason. Duda could be in for a nice raise if he has a solid season. He's hitting .275/.471/.627 in 51 at-bats this year.
Lucas Duda moved to cleanup spot
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (4/25/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda will bat fourth Thursday.
Duda is hitting in the four-hole for the first time this season. He has five home runs this season and 17 walks. Ike Davis, who was batting fourth, was dropped to sixth.
Lucas Duda will not be taking grounders at first base
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/23/2013) Mets manager Terry Collins said outfielder Lucas Duda is playing "pretty well" in left field and does not want him to take grounders at first base, according to ESPN. Collins said he doesn't want to disrupt Duda's focus.
Mets in top 10 in on-base percentage
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/23/2013) The Mets enter Tuesday against the Dodgers with the eighth-highest on-base percentage (.333) in the majors. Outfielder Lucas Duda (.475) is third in the National League in OBP and third baseman David Wright (.447) is fifth.
Mets keep Lucas Duda in six-hole
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (4/21/2013) After flirting with the possibility of moving outfielder Lucas Duda to the cleanup spot in the batting order, Mets manager Terry Collins scrapped the idea and kept the slugger in the No. 6 position. Duda entered Sunday's game against Washington ranked third in the National League in on-base percentage (.491) and slugging percentage (.707).
"This game is about confidence," Collins told MLB.com. "Lucas Duda is feeling pretty good. I don't want to change that. One thing I don't want to do right now is put him in a situation where he thinks he's got to do more than he's doing at this particular moment."
Duda struck out in all three at-bats with a walk Sunday, his second straight hitless outing.
Lucas Duda worth rostering
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/21/2013) It's not time for Fantasy owners to be hesitant about picking up Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who is owned in just 61 percent of Fantasy leagues. It seems Duda's breakout year is just coming a year late.
Duda has a .707 slugging percentage and 1.199 OPS through 15 games. Obviously, he's due for a market correction because he won't be able to maintain those levels, but if you are willing to be patient with Duda, then he could be a bat you end up using all season.
Perhaps one of the most encouraging signs for me is Duda has more walks (14) than strikeouts (12). It seems his timing and pitch recognition has improved, which should help translate into a successful season for Duda.
No issues for Lucas Duda
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (4/20/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda showed that his back injury was not a problem Friday against the Nationals after a one-game absence.
Duda was 2 for 3 with two solo home runs in the 7-1 win. He added a walk, two RBI and two runs.
Duda has five home runs in 14 games and has cut down on the strikeouts that caused him problems a year ago. He has struck out 11 times in 39 at-bats with 12 walks. He is second in the majors with a 1.234 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Lucas Duda returns Friday from back injury
by Jack Moore | CBSSports.com (4/19/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda is back in the lineup Friday after missing Thursday's doubleheader with back stiffness, MLB.com reports.
Duda last appeared in the second half of Tuesday's doubleheader with Colorado, which he left with the back injury. Duda is hitting .278/.469/.583 with three home runs in 36 at-bats.
Lucas Duda not ready to start Thursday
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/18/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda was held out of the starting lineup Thursday at Colorado after leaving the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader with a minor back injury. Jordany Valdespin started in left field in Duda's absence.
Since hitting two home runs April 10, Duda is 2 for 10 in his last four games. He has no extra-base hits or RBI in that span.
Lucas Duda's back injury appears minor
by Jack Moore | CBSSports.com (4/17/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda was removed from the second game of their doubleheader Tuesday against Colorado, but the injury appears minor, ESPN New York reports.
"It's not a big deal. It just kind of tightened up," Duda said. "I should be in there tomorrow."
Duda has played in 13 games for the Mets, with three home runs and two doubles in 36 at-bats.
Lucas Duda exits with lower back injury
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/16/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda was forced out of the second game of a day-night doubleheader against the Rockies due to lower back tightness. He was replaced in left field by Mike Baxter.
Duda went 1 for 3 with a walk in the first game and 1 for 2 with two runs scored and a walk in the second game before getting hurt. He is listed as day to day.
Lucas Duda, come on down!
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/12/2013) After he hit two home runs Wednesday, I made a point to add the Mets' Lucas Duda in each of my leagues where he was still available, even swinging a deal to clear a roster spot in one.
Apparently, not everyone did the same. He's still unowned in 63 percent of leagues.
I realize I'm kind of the boy who cried wolf after hyping Duda up and down prior to last season, but ... aw heck, I'll do it again. Here and now, I'm going on record to say this is the year he breaks out.
Just about everyone in the Mets organization describes him as a "monster," and two of his three long balls this season qualify as monster shots. Plus, the plate discipline that was such a big part of his game in the minors and during his impressive stint in the majors two years ago is back on display now. His seven walks in nine games give him a .486 on-base percentage.
If I'm wrong this time, I'll never fall for it again. Honest.
Lucas Duda homers twice in loss
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/10/2013) Mets left fielder Lucas Duda went 3 for 4 with a double and two solo home runs in the team's 7-3 loss to the Phillies Wednesday. The big day gives Duda a .308/.486/.731 line with three home runs, six RBI, five runs and seven walks in 2013.
Duda takes a three-game hitting streak into the team's weekend series against the Twins in Minnesota.
Lucas Duda hits rare home run against lefty in win
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/3/2013) Mets left fielder Lucas Duda took Padres starter Clayton Richard deep in the second inning for his first home run of the season. Duda entered the game with only four home runs in 235 career plate appearances against left-handed pitching but finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and two RBI to go with his home run.
Duda has now reached back in five of his first eight plate appearances this season.
Lucas Duda a post-hype sleeper?
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (3/26/2013) Yes, I realize the Mets' Lucas Duda has homered in four of his last nine spring games. No, I haven't written him off even though he was the most notable of my failed sleeper picks last season. No, I'm not about to go head-over-heels for him again, declaring him the one player I have to have on all of my teams this year, but yes, I'd consider him with a late-round pick.
Hey, power is scarce in the late rounds.
Waiting to see Lucas Duda in-season
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (3/26/2013) I'm not sure yet if I want to believe Mets outfielder Lucas Duda's breakout season has arrived a year later. Duda homered for the fifth time this spring and had four RBI Tuesday against the Cardinals. He has four homers in his last nine spring games and 12 RBI in 19 games. He's also raised his average to .302. Not a bad stat line at all.
Although Duda hit .300 with a .583 slugging percentage, four homers and 10 RBI in 22 games last spring and we all know how his 2012 season went, so if anything we should be more wary of Duda's spring numbers.
I'm still of the belief you can't use more than a late-round flier on Duda in mixed leagues. Don't worry if he goes undrafted. If he gets off to a hot start, then worry about picking him up. It's just in Duda's case it's tough to put a lot of stock in his spring numbers.
Confidence growing for Lucas Duda
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/23/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda was 2 for 3 with a tiebreaking solo home run in the seventh inning of a 3-1 Grapefruit League victory over Washington Saturday. Duda, who reworked his swing during the offseason, has four homers despite a slow spring training start.
"I would like to say I see a lot of improvement in him," manager Terry Collins said. "He's getting himself in a much better hitting position. You can tell he's got more confidence when he gets up there. He's taking tougher pitches. There's been some real positives."
Duda shakes off bad start
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (3/10/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda had his best performance of the spring Saturday against the Astros. Duda went 3 for 3 with a pair of RBI, increasing his spring average to .273. Duda was benched after beginning the spring 0 for 8 with six strikeouts, but he's batting .429 (6 for 14) with one homer, two doubles and three RBI since returning to the lineup. “I told Lucas 10 days ago, we’re not even to March yet,” manager Terry Collins said, per the New York Post. “You had a couple of bad games, you haven’t had enough reps. I’m very well aware of that. Don’t think that what happens on Feb. 27 is going to dictate what’s going to go on March 29, it’s not. This is a lengthy process.”
by Jeff Lippman | CBSSports.com (3/2/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda got right back in the lineup in Grapefruit League action Saturday, reports ESPN. Duda had been scratched on Friday with a mysterious ailment but claimed he was OK. Apparently, he was right. Duda homered and doubled in his return despite going 1 for 10 this spring prior to his injury absence.
Mystery surrounding Duda
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/1/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda saw a doctor for an undisclosed medical condition Friday and declared himself ready to play despite being held out of the lineup for New York's Grapefruit League matchup against Detroit. Manager Terry Collins insisted the issue is a minor concern, but wasn't sure whether Duda will play Saturday. "Lucas Duda will always try to play," Collins said. "But we'll see how he is in the morning."
TC: Duda 'just not ready to play'
(2/25/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda was left out of the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League contest against the Nationals after going 0 for 7 with six strikeouts in his first two spring games. Manager Terry Collins said that Duda's wrist is no longer an issue but the time he missed has hindered his swing. "He's just not ready to play," Collins said. "Due to the wrist injury, he hasn't been able to get the amount of reps he normally does to feel comfortable. I'm not here to embarrass anybody, so when he is ready to play, we'll get him back in there."
Duda off to brutal start
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/24/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda is off to a brutal start in spring training games. Duda struck out in all four of his at-bats Sunday against the Astros and is now 0 for 7 with six strikeouts through two spring games. “He’s trying to change his stride a little bit so it’s not so much movement, and he’s just not getting himself in hitting position right now,” manager Terry Collins said, per ESPN. “It’s a work in progress. The only way to get it is to get in the batter’s box and swing. And today he had a terrible day, but it’s going to come with making the adjustments he’s trying to make. It’s not drastic. It’s just trying to quiet all the movement down. One of the things last year was he wasn’t getting his front foot down. But a lot of it was caused because he had so much movement with his hands. Dave Hudgens has done a good job. They’ve looked at all the great hitters, from Adrian Gonzalez to [Joey] Votto and all those good left-handed hitters. And they’re real quiet. But they get their feet down.”
Duda is everyday left fielder
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/12/2013) Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters Tuesday outfielder Lucas Duda is the team's starting left fielder, according to ESPN.
Duda changing approach
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/10/2013)The Star-Ledger reports Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who is coming off a turbulent 2012 season, is working on minimizing his pre-pitch movement at the plate. "I'm just trying to get him to stay easy," hitting coach Dave Hudgens said. "When he wants to juice the baseball, he'll start getting more movement. He's so big and strong, he doesn't need all that. I'm trying to get him just to calm down; just not trying to do too much with the baseball. Swing almost at 60 percent instead of 100 percent." Duda said it was a "mutual" decision to make the changes after an inconsistent season. "It's still a work in progress," Duda said. "It's not going to be a quick change. It's going to be a process throughout the whole season." Hudgens said Duda's "capable" of being a "middle-of-the-order hitter." "He just needs to be consistent with what he does," Hudgens said. "It's not like we're trying to change his swing because his swing is very good. It's more about being consistent."
Duda continues to progress
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (1/28/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who had wrist surgery in November, hit in the batting cage for 10 minutes Monday. He also faced live pitching and fielded fly balls.
Duda hitting from a tee
by Nando Di Fino | Senior Fantasy Writer (1/18/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who broke his wrist while helping a friend move a TV stand in October, has started hitting from a tee, and is expected to be ready for spring training.
Duda's wrist 'feels great'
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (1/4/2013) Mets outfielder Lucas Duda told ESPN.com that his wrist "feels great" as he continues to recover from surgery. Duda, who is expected to be New York's regular right fielder in 2013, went .239 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI in 2012. He is expected to be back at 100 percent in time for spring training.
