The Mets got one of their first tastes of real baseball Thursday night during an intrasquad game at Citi Field, which included walk-up songs, fake crowd noise and fan cut-outs in the stands.
For J.D. Davis, it took sometime to get used to, but then it just felt like baseball again.
"It was definitely weird to have a crowd noise or audio in the background, but as the game went along after a couple of innings, it just felt normal, it felt just fine," Davis said on a Zoom call Friday afternoon. "I don't think it's that big of a deal.
"It's nice to kind of be in that game routine. ...We've been scrimmaging for about five, six days and it's been dead quiet too it's a bummer, so I don't like that."
With baseball set to be the first of the "Big Four" sports to return during the coronavirus pandemic, Davis said he knows what having the game back will do for some people.
"It can bring in a lot of hope and just some comfort, some normalcy from what's going on so far. I feel that we have, not an obligation, but an opportunity to bring that to fans," Davis said. "It's America's past time, so I think it's only right to have baseball back before anything."
Davis also mentioned that he's been taking reps at third base and out in left field, working with Yoenis Cespedes in the process.
"He's moving well," Davis said on Cespedes. "Having conversations with him about hitting, defense...it looks like he hasn't really skipped a beat out there. ...He's bought in, it's going to be exciting to see him play."
The Mets will host the Braves next Friday for their home opener, but will first face the Yankees twice this weekend for exhibition games to shake off some rust after the four-month break.
