Mets tell top catching prospect d'Arnaud not to block the plate

2/27/13, "Mets Tell Top Catching Prospect Not to Block Plate," NY Times, Bats blog, Andrew Keh

"Manager Terry Collins informed catcher Travis d’Arnaud on Wednesday that the team did not want him to block home plate when applying a tag on a runner trying to score.

The Mets traded the Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey this winter to acquire d’Arnaud, among other players, from the Toronto Blue Jays. He has not played at the major league level, but he is viewed as the team’s future catcher.

“He came in today, and we talked,” Collins said. “I told him: ‘Travis, I know you’re a tough guy. I know it’s baseball. But if you want to play for the next 15 years the last thing we need for you is to reinjure your knee.’”

D’Arnaud missed half of last season after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Collins was asked whether a similar decision would have been made if the injury had not occurred.

“Probably, in this particular case, I might,” he said. “But certainly, with the knee injury, it’s a big factor.” Collins added: “We need to look down the road; this kid’s going to be a star here for a long time. We certainly don’t want to have anything to keep that from happening.”"

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