Lucas Duda (back) is not in the Mets' starting lineup on Thursday afternoon against the Rockies. Duda left the second half of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Rox because of lower back tightness. It's freezing right now in Denver so the Mets are playing it safe. Duda should be back in action on Friday night.

Lucas Duda (back) expects to return to the lineup Wednesday. Duda had to leave the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rockies due to lower back tightness. While it's not a major concern, Duda thinks the cold weather might have been a factor, so the Mets will see how he responds to the conditions Wednesday.

Lucas Duda left the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rockies with lower back tightness. It's not clear at this point how much time he might miss. Duda picked up two hits and drew two walks in seven at-bats during the doubleheader before exiting.

Lucas Duda will serve as the designated hitter for Friday's interleague matchup against the Twins. Defense isn't Duda's strong suit, so sticking him in the DH spot is a nice luxury under American League rules. Mike Baxter will start in his place in left field Friday. Meanwhile, Jordany Valdespin will start in center field while Marlon Byrd will play right.

Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer, his first of the year, in helping the Mets beat the Padres on Wednesday. Duda is a post-hype sleeper of sorts after falling flat on his face in his expected "breakout" last year. He's in his age 27 season now and he's got some of the best raw power in the National League, so it's easy to imagine him rebounding to post 20-plus home runs in 2013. Deep-league players in search of cheap power could do worse than The Dude.

Lucas Duda went 3-for-4 with a homer and drove in all four Mets runs against the Cardinals on Tuesday. Duda is 7-for-14 with three homers and two doubles in his last four games. The Mets' starting left fielder has five homers and 12 RBI in 53 at-bats for the spring.

Lucas Duda went 2-for-3 and homered Saturday in the Mets' 3-1 victory over the Nationals. Duda has overcome a slow start to his spring to hit .333/.400/.750 with four homers in 36 at-bats this month. We're still not big believers in his bat, and given his poor defense in left field, he's needs to be very productive to be a decent regular. Still, given the Mets' lack of alternatives, he figures to get a long opportunity to prove himself.

Lucas Duda went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI as the Mets topped the Astros 9-6 on Saturday. Duda also had a nice game last Saturday, collecting a homer and a double against the Marlins. In his other five games this spring, he's 1-for-17 with 10 strikeouts. Still, there's a long way to go in March, and his starting job doesn't appear to be in any doubt.

Back in the lineup after a couple of days off, Lucas Duda homered and doubled on Saturday. Duda was 1-for-10 with seven strikeouts before his absence, so maybe the break was a good thing.

Lucas Duda returned to the Mets' lineup Saturday. Duda was scratched from Friday's game due to what the Mets referred to as a "small medical issue." This isn't injury-related and won't be a concern going forward.