MLB

Pete Alonso goes ‘nuts’ to make sure he plays vs. Cardinals’ Hudson

ST. LOUIS — Hours after he was hit on the hand and had to get X-rays that came back negative, Pete Alonso got Mickey Callaway worried Saturday night.

The Mets first baseman was texting and calling his manager as Callaway was trying to head out to dinner with his parents.

“It scared me,” Callaway said. “I was like, ‘What happened?’”

All was well with his hand, but Alonso wanted to make sure he would be in the lineup Sunday against Cardinals pitcher Dakota Hudson. They were former college rivals — Alonso at Florida and Hudson at Mississippi State — in the powerhouse SEC from 2014-16.

“He called me [Saturday] night and was like, ‘Hey, you better put me in,’” Callaway said Sunday morning. “He was like, ‘Hey, I want to play tomorrow. I hate this guy. I played against him in college.’ I don’t know.

“I don’t know what he was saying. He was going nuts.”

Alonso was 0-for-4 against Hudson in college, but the Gators were 5-2 against the Rebels in games Alonso played. The Mets rookie played coy about their history before the game.

“We had some pretty good battles,” Alonso said.

Asked if Alonso gave him the past numbers, Callaway said no.

“He just said he didn’t like him very much,” Callaway said. “Something like that.”

As for his hand, Alonso was good to go. He had broken his left hand three times previously, but his right hand appeared to have avoided the same fate when it got hit while fouling off a ball in the eighth inning Saturday.

“I’m sure he probably thought there was a small chance since he got hit that I was going to sit him, but he feels great,” Callaway said.