Mets option Anthony Recker, activate Travis d'Arnaud

As expected, Travis d'Arnaud is returning to the New York Mets after his second stint on the disabled list and will be on the active roster tomorrow night against the Nationals. Anthony Recker has been optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, and Kevin Plawecki will stay on as the backup catcher.

In the 19 games he's played this season, d'Arnaud his been one of the most productive hitters in the Mets' lineup, hitting .298/.338/.535. With the recent acquisitions of Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson, the promotion of Michael Conforto, and burgeoning hitting surges from Lucas Duda and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, the Mets' lineup is looking better by the day.

Recker began the season as d'Arnaud's backup and was surprisingly demoted upon Dillon Gee's return from the bereavement list and Ruben Tejada's return from the paternity list on June 14.

Plawecki, who has been somewhat weak offensively but strong defensively, is expected to start some days behind the plate as the Mets seek to reduce d'Arnaud's risk of a third trip to the disabled list this season.