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New York Mets: Kevin Plawecki ready to improve after sinus surgery

By Nick Ziegler

Sep 12, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki (22) and center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) react after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The Mets defeated the Braves 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki (22) and center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) react after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The Mets defeated the Braves 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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One of the unsung heroes for the New York Mets in 2015 was catcher Kevin Plawecki, who stepped in for an injured Travis d’Arnaud for most of the season.

Plawecki dealt with his own health issues in 2015, as a sinus issue really limited the Mets’ rookie.

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“It was almost like a drunk feeling without having anything to drink, that’s the best description,” the Mets’ catcher said to Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. “Makes you very uneasy. It’s scary, really, too, because you can’t pinpoint why.

“It was really frustrating to deal with.”

Dealing with breathing issues as a professional athlete is a hard thing to imagine, but Plawecki was able to fight through it and still be a productive player. Last season, Plawecki played in 73 games, whiling totaled a .219 batting average, three homeruns, and 21 RBIs.

“My right sinus was completely blocked, so I wasn’t getting any air flow through there,” Plawecki said in a telephone interview to McCarron. “But I didn’t feel sinus pressure.

“Then when we’d fly and that would magnify things. Then we’d be home in New York for a week and I’d feel OK, but then we’d fly again…It was hard to figure out until we got more tests done. Now I’ve gotten the sinuses cleared out.”

This offseason, in addition to getting married, Plawecki also underwent a surgery to fix the problem as he looks towards the 2016 season.

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“I was pleased with the way it turned out last year, defensively,” Plawecki said to McCarron. “Offensively, I want to do better. I’m not going to put it on the way I was feeling, but that didn’t help. I learned a lot along the way with K-Long (Kevin Long, the Mets’ hitting coach) and we worked on my swing, trying to use my legs more.”

In 2015 with a healthy d’Arnaud, the Mets are going to try and get them both as many at-bats as they can. The Mets are going to try and get both d’Arnaud and Plawecki some time at other positions during the spring, as Plawecki will be getting time at first base.

“It’ll take me a few reps over there to get things feeling a bit normal,” Plawecki said to McCarron.

“I’m sure it’s something that’s going to be entertained,” he added. “Me and Trav are open for anything. We both just want to win. That’s who we are.”

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There is still a lot of work to do for Plawecki at the plate, as being thrown into the starting catcher’s spot surely affected him at the plate with his additional duties to handle the pitching staff.

In 2016, Plawecki will primarily be the backup to d’Arnaud, but with d’Arnaud’s injury history, Plawecki will have to be ready to assume a larger role.

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