Terry Collins has put the rumors of Lucas Duda playing the outfield to an end. In a statement to the media, Collins said that the Mets will uphold their promise to play him as the everyday first baseman.
"We made the commitment to play him there [first base]. Again, you want to keep him as positive as you can. I think putting him back in left field will take away a little bit of that positive glow that he's got going right now."
Since his initial call-up in 2010, Duda has played roughly 1900 innings in the outfield, having posted a horrific -38.7 UZR/150 in that time. Duda lacked the speed and the glove to play the field, but his more-than-capable bat buoyed him during several lost seasons where the Mets seemed open to defensive experimentation.
This seems like the right move for the Mets and Terry Collins. Duda is finally settling in at first base, having posted a .306/.359/.556 slash line through the early part of the season, and taking him out of his comfort zone would most likely be a poor choice.