Talk about a return.
Mets 2B Robinson Cano returned to the lineup on Wednesday afternoon for the first time since coming off the IL after recovering quickly from a torn hamstring. And he picked up right where he left off, going 3-for-3 with an opposite field homer mixed in.
"I guess it's good," Cano said smiling when asked how his swing felt.
Cano noted that he was swinging about a week after getting injured, and he was able to work with hitting coach Chili Davis before he went down to Florida for his rehab. So he wasn't without a bat in his hands for too long.
For Mickey Callaway and the rest of the Mets, Cano's strong return shows that he's definitely ready to be back with the club now in the midst of a Wild Card chase. And Callaway didn't seem too surprised that Cano came back and produced the way he did against the Nats, either.
"I think for him to come off the IL and swing the bat like he did today shows what kind of hitter he is," Callaway said. "He's just a super talented hitter -- it's like he never went on the IL. He was hot when he left us and he's swinging the bat good again. So that's great."
The Mets picked up a half game with their win, so at 4.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot, there is still much more work to do. They'll return home to start a 10-game homestand against two Wild Card contenders to start in the Phillies and Diamondbacks.
While many may be counting the Mets out, especially after their horrid loss Tuesday night after blowing a six-run lead in the ninth, Cano says the team is still focused on securing that postseason berth.
"The feeling is the same. We're all on the same page: we want to win, we want to make it to the playoffs," he said. "I'm the kind of guy that it's not over until we're out, so we got a chance. You just gotta keep grinding and go out and keep doing your job."
Cano did his job today, and the Mets will hope there's more where that came from through this homestretch.