Jonathan Villar avoids IL, but Mets still being ‘cautious’

SAN DIEGO — Jonathan Villar managed to avoid the injured list Thursday, but the Mets will play it cautiously with the versatile infielder.

A day earlier, Villar departed with right hamstring tightness against the Diamondbacks, leaving a hole at third base and atop the lineup. Villar didn’t play in the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Padres, and manager Luis Rojas later said he was unavailable.

“We want to be cautious, especially with things that happened to us already this season, this past month,” Rojas said. “Jonathan has been such a valuable piece for us that we don’t want to lose him for the long-term or the 10-day or anything like that. We just want to make sure he gets the treatment and that he’s right and that way we can get him in there for a start.”

Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil are already on the injured list with hamstring strains. In McNeil’s case the Mets tried to play it cautiously with him initially, but the hamstring worsened and he needed the IL stint.

Brandon Drury started at third base and Kevin Pillar moved to leadoff.

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Pete Alonso — who grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth as a pinch hitter — was absent from the starting lineup so he could rest after playing three straight games following his removal from the injured list.

Rojas equated the previous three games to a rehab assignment for Alonso, in which he would have received a day off after playing three days in a row.

“We have to make sure he’s fresh for three out of these four games and why not give him the first game off and he should be available to come off the bench and maybe double-switch or an at-bat if he’s needed,” Rojas said.

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Yu Darvish appeared to reach inside his glove between pitches at various points during his start, but Rojas didn’t suspect any foul play. The scrutiny comes as MLB is attempting to crack down on pitchers applying substances to the ball.

“Not from my angle, not from my view,” Rojas said when asked about Darvish reaching inside his glove. “I didn’t hear anyone in our dugout talking about it or anything.”

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Joey Lucchesi will start Friday night’s game for the Mets, putting him on the mound against his former team. The Mets acquired the left-hander last winter in a three-way deal that also involved the Pirates.

“Of course I want to strike every one of those guys out,” Lucchesi said.

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Luis Guillorme was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse (which got rained out), and if all goes well could return in about a week, according to Rojas. The backup infielder has spent over a month on the IL rehabbing from a strained oblique.