Nieuwenhuis went 4-for-4 with a run scored and driven in during the Mets' first spring training game Wednesday. Nieuwenhuis is battling Eric Campbell, Matt den Dekker and Cesar Puello to come north with the parent club when the regular season opens. He would seem to have the inside track since has the most experience and has shown he can come off the bench as a solid pinch-hitter. In addition, Nieuwenhuis had an .855 OPS against righties last season, and is out of options, meaning he would have to pass through waivers to get sent back to Triple-A; additional factors that could give him the edge.