Mets facing Carson Benge dilemma with top prospect

Mets facing Carson Benge dilemma with top prospect originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This is the dilemma that arises when a team decides to keep a top prospect on the Opening Day roster.

What happens if there are immediate struggles?

That's a kind way to describe what is happening with Carson Benge and the New York Mets right now.

Before getting a hit on Wednesday, he had gone 24 consecutive at bats without a hit.

Even the hit wasn't that mighty -- he just poked a single through the right side.

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After Wednesday's game, Benge's average for the season is .108.

He's 4-for-37 with one home run and four stolen bases. Benge has walked five times, but he's also struck out 12 times.

It still is a small sample size, even if it doesn't seem like that. But for the Mets to feel secure in keeping Benge around all season, they'll need him to start heating up at least a little bit.

In concept, there'd be nothing terrible about sending him down to Triple-A Syracuse, unless it runs the risk of crushing his confidence.

Some players would take that maneuver in stride, rediscover their swing and come back in a great place.

Others would start to wallow in self-pity and not approach the return to the minor leagues well at all.

At some point, the Mets may have to find out which side of that coin Benge falls on.

In the meantime, they'll just hope that his hits keep finding the holes to allow him to find some stability going forward.

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