Jose Siri showing Mets he has more to game than stellar fielding

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Mets traded for Jose Siri primarily because he plays an excellent center field.

He’s a player who seems like a different kind of weapon in what projects as a strong lineup.

But there is at least some hope that Siri can develop into a stronger hitter — some of the evidence showing up this spring.

In his fifth Grapefruit League game, Siri blasted his third home run, which was tied for the most in baseball thus far as a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox concluded.

“There’s potential there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday from JetBlue Park, where Siri crushed a three-run homer to left field off Liam Hendriks.

There is no doubting Siri’s power, and he has totaled 43 homers over the past two seasons.

But he strikes out often and is coming off a particularly poor season at the plate, having hit .187 with a .620 OPS with the Rays last year.

The Mets hope they can help Siri’s plate discipline, which would help him reach base more often and have a better knowledge of which pitches he can rip.

“For him, I think understanding the role that he has on this team offensively — meaning there’s a good chance he’s going to have some really good hitters behind him,” Mendoza said. “Getting on base, controlling the strike zone, swinging at good pitches, and he’s doing that right now.”

The 29-year-old could not take those steps with the Astros or Rays, but he established himself as helpful through incredible plays defensively and his powerful stroke.

The Mets sent relief prospect Eric Orze to Tampa Bay to acquire a player who essentially replaced Harrison Bader.

“I was surprised,” Siri said through interpreter Alan Suriel this weekend. “I was home at the time. I wasn’t expecting to get traded, but that’s the business.”

The good news for Paul Blackburn: His tweaked sinker is moving more than ever.

The bad news: Controlling that movement is a work in progress.

The Mets right-hander was charged with four runs on three hits and two walks while recording four outs.

He threw 23 pitches in the first inning, was pulled after recording just one out, reentered for the second inning and pitched a 1-2-3 frame.

He got a better hang of his sinker in the second inning.

“There’s good days and there’s bad days with it,” Blackburn said of the pitch, which has become a spring project. “I was really happy with the movement of it today, but just being able to take that movement and consistently get into the zone.”

Blackburn, who was done after 32 pitches, is a strong rotation candidate with Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas sidelined.

Luisangel Acuña, who was drilled by a fastball in the elbow Saturday and forced out of the game, should be fine, Mendoza said.

Acuña was told not to swing a bat Sunday as a precaution, but he did infield work and has not required testing.

“Not too concerned,” Mendoza said.

Sean Reid-Foley came through OK after throwing 15 pitches Saturday in his first game since a shoulder impingement cut short his season last year.

Reid-Foley recorded two outs while allowing a hit and a walk before being lifted.

His fastball sat around 93-94 mph, which is healthy for this time of the season.

“Thought he was good,” Mendoza said of the righty reliever, who last pitched in the majors on June 19. His shoulder then forced him to the injured list and an attempted rehab assignment ended with a shoulder setback.