Mets' Mark Canha shows he's got a lot on his plate
Mets' Mark Canha celebrates scoring during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Sunday, May 14, 2023, in Washington. Credit: AP/Alex Brandon
Mark Canha wasn’t in the Mets’ lineup on Tuesday night.
That doesn’t mean he didn’t have a full plate.
First, Canha was getting ready to be used off the bench if needed by manager Buck Showalter.
Then, on Wednesday morning, Canha is scheduled to bring some of his special know-how — about food, not baseball, in this instance — to PS 201 Discovery School for Inquiry and Research in Queens as part of the “Eat Smart with the Mets” program.
Canha, who is such a big food lover that his Instragram handle is @bigleaguefoodie, will take part in a cooking lesson for young students that focuses on healthy eating.
“I don't really know much about the event,” Canha said before the game against the Phillies at Citi Field. “I know there’s food and kids, so I'm excited about that. I love working with kids. It's always a good time when you get to try and help and be around children. That's something I'm passionate about.”
Canha is working on a travel food book and, earlier this month, debuted a YouTube series called “BigLeagueFoodie Chronicles” in which he says he will feature “breakfast, lunch, and dinner dates with my teammates from the 2023 New York Mets in which we talk about all things baseball, life outside of baseball, and of course food!”
The first episode featured Canha introducing Mets outfielder Tim Locastro (now injured) to caviar in Miami. Locastro liked it.
The second had Daniel Vogelbach trying high-end toast in San Francisco.
“I was not expecting it to be this good,” Vogelbach said.
Catch-22
Catcher Omar Narvaez, who went 0-for-3 with a walk for Syracuse in his first Triple-A minor league rehab game on Monday, should be ready to come back when he is eligible next Tuesday, manager Buck Showalter said.
The Mets will have a decision to make since Narvaez, who has been out since April 7 with a left calf strain, was signed to a one-year, $8-million deal with a $7-million player option to be their No. 1 catcher. Tomas Nido also has a guaranteed two-year, $3.7-million contract that the Mets bestowed upon him in the offseason.
The Mets could carry three catchers if they give Francisco Alvarez some designated hitter at-bats.
Yacabonis DFA’d
The Mets designated righthander Jimmy Yacabonis for assignment. Yacabonis had been on the injured list since May 9 with a left quadriceps strain. Yacabonis appeared in five games out of the bullpen and went 2-1 with a 9.00 ERA.
McNeil returns
Jeff McNeil, who was limited to pinch hitting duty in Sunday’s game in Denver because of mild groin tightness, returned to the starting lineup.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
