Mets place Travis d’Arnaud on DL with strained rotator cuff

Travis d’Arnaud has landed on the disabled list for the third time since the beginning of last season. This time, the Mets catcher has been sidelined by what the team called a strain of the right rotator cuff.

Kevin Plawecki figures to get the bulk of the playing time with d’Arnaud out. Meanwhile, the Mets have promoted veteran backup Rene Rivera from Triple-A Las Vegas.

D’Arnaud, 27, was in the midst of a brutal start to the season. He was hitting .196 in his first 13 games, a slow beginning after emerging as an offensive force when he managed to stay on the field a year ago.

But durability continues to be an issue for d’Arnaud, who has been dealing with injuries throughout his professional career.

Plawecki, 25, is hitting .176 in seven games this season. The Mets consider him a potential starter and weighed sending him to the minors to begin the season to rack up at-bats.

But d’Arnaud’s injury history, and the possibility of big-league playing time, swayed the Mets’ decision to keep Plawecki in the major leagues.

Rivera, 32, has played in parts of seven major-league seasons, most recently last year with the Rays. Rivera signed a minor- league deal with the Mets on April 5. He was hitting .280 with five RBIs in eight games with Triple-A Las Vegas.