#Luis Rojas watched these Mets pitchers from unusual spot

PORT ST. LUCIE — From beyond the center-field fence at Clover Park, Marcus Stroman and Jeurys Familia looked just fine.

Mets manager Luis Rojas watched from that angle as both pitchers threw live batting practice Thursday, so he could get a better idea about the movement on their pitches. Rojas couldn’t help but like what he saw in the first live BP session for both right-handers.

“Those guys worked hard, both of them,” Rojas said. “I am looking forward to having some conversations about the feel of some of their pitches and the pitches they were working on, like Familia’s slider is something that he brought up early to me, that he worked really hard in the offseason on and he’s looking to see the effect now in camp, starting early.”

Rojas held his breath as Stroman raced into foul territory to catch a pop-up, but the pitcher emerged unscathed.

“It was a little scary at first, there were a bunch of bats and fungoes,” Rojas said. “His energy is there.”

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Dominic Smith said the Catapult vest he has been wearing during his workouts has monitored vital signs to ensure he doesn’t overextend himself.

“Monitor our heart rate and just make sure that we are not spiking too high or doing too much where we eventually cause injury,” Smith said.

He noted the stress fracture in his foot he sustained in 2019 and the quad strain from spring training the previous year.

“[A] lot of injuries come from overuse and fatigue, and we want to stay on top of that and make sure I’m not getting overused out there,” Smith said. “That every day I am gradually increasing my value instead of spiking too high and doing too much.”

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Rojas expects many of the organization’s top prospects to participate in the exhibition games, which begin Monday. Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Alvarez, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Allan and Brett Baty are among the top prospects in camp.

“I was talking to a few of them and told them if they don’t get the chance to start, we want them backing up every game if we can, and if we get a chance to get them in there we will,” Rojas said. “You have got to be hungry.

We are giving them the chance to experience some things, but you have still got to be hungry for things like this.”

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The Mets hired Jeff Deline as chief revenue officer, an industry source confirmed. Deline previously held the same position in Toronto, with the Raptors and Maple Leafs.