Mets’ J.D. Davis now in boot after getting hit in left foot

ST. LOUIS — For his 29th birthday, J.D. Davis received a boot for his left foot.

The Mets third baseman departed Wednesday’s game after getting hit by a pitch in that foot in the eighth inning. X-rays were negative, but Davis will receive further evaluation before the Mets begin their weekend series against the Phillies.

“I was pretty concerned. It squared me up pretty good,” Davis said after the Mets’ 10-5 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. “I was hoping there was nothing broken, and sure enough there wasn’t, so I am happy with that.”

Davis started at third base against lefty Steven Matz, allowing Eduardo Escobar a half-day off as the DH. Davis finished 0-for-3.

The Mets have been hit by 19 pitches this season, tops in MLB, and Davis has a theory why.

“We have got some talented hitters in here and a lot of analytics. They go by the heat maps and where are our cold spots?” Davis said. “A lot of our cold spots are up in the zone or up-and-in, and it’s hard for pitchers to get in there, especially with so many pitchers got used to [sticky substances] and then getting rid of it and coming back and chucking it 95 mph and not having the same grip that they used to. … It’s kind of a mixture of things.”

Buck Showalter offered a tepid defense of base-running decisions by Mark Canha and Luis Guillorme in the sixth inning.

Canha was thrown out at second base attempting to stretch a single into a double to begin the inning. Guillorme was thrown out trying to extend a double into a triple to end the inning.

“You could make a case for Canha being safe, it just depends, we’re biased,” Showalter said. “They made two really good defensive plays. I know what it looks like after the fact, but it’s like a 30-foot jump shot: If you make it, it’s a good shot, but it didn’t work out, and I think it was more them making two really good throws, as far as our guys with that type of lead you want to try to be safe.

“I am not going to use that aggressiveness against them, but you want to be smart when you do it.”

Chasen Shreve got the final two outs of the sixth inning, as Showalter looked for a spot to get work for the left-hander, who hadn’t pitched since last Friday. Showalter anticipates a fully rested bullpen for the start of the Phillies series.