Travis d’Arnaud gives #7 to Jose Reyes, switches to #18

With Jose Reyes returning to the Mets’ active roster for the first time since the last day of the 2011 season—a day on which he claimed the National League batting title—Travis d’Arnaud will relinquish his uniform #7 so that Reyes can wear the only number he’s ever worn in the big leagues. d’Arnaud wore #15 with the Mets in 2013 and 2014 before switching to #7 in 2015.

The last Mets player to wear #18 was Ryota Igarashi, a reliever who pitched a couple of forgettable seasons in Queens in 2010 and 2011. Third base coach Tim Teufel had been wearing #18 until the Mets released Ruben Tejada this spring, at which point Teufel switched back to the #11 he wore in his playing days.

The first Met to wear #18 was Felix Mantilla in 1962. Of course, the Mets’ most famous and longest-tenured #18 was Darryl Strawberry, who wore the number from 1983 through 1990.

Nonentities to wear #18 for the Mets through the years include Jeff McKnight, Jeff Barry, Kevin Roberson, and Todd Haney.