Josh Thole is back from the disabled list, returning to the Mets after missing the past 22 games with a concussion from a home plate collision on May 7.
To make room for Thole on the roster the Mets demoted Rob Johnson to Triple-A, choosing to stick with Mike Nickeas as their backup despite his lowly .169 batting average in 50 career games.
Prior to the concussion Thole hit .284 with a .356 on-base percentage and .370 slugging percentage in 26 games to essentially duplicate his solid career numbers. He lacks power, but few catchers can match his on-base skills and Thole has also thrown out 26 percent of steal attempts.
