PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- For more than a week, Francisco Lindor has tantalized Mets fans with his energy at camp, bouncing around the back fields with a tuft of blue hair peeking out from beneath his cap. Now, it's time for him to show what he can do in games.

Lindor’s first taste of live game action as a Met will take place on Monday, when the team opens its Grapefruit League schedule with a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. The shortstop will lead a traveling party that’s also scheduled to include everyday players Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Davis.

“I’m excited to see the guys just playing out there, communicating, calling a flyball, going out there for an alignment, cutoff relays, stealing a bag, going first-to-third -- doing all the things [that] are part of a Spring Training game,” manager Luis Rojas said. “I’m really excited. I can’t wait to see the first pitch of the game tomorrow.”

Prospect Harol Gonzalez will start for the Mets, followed by Sean-Reid Foley, Ryley Gilliam, Trevor Hildenberger, Stephen Tarpley and Thomas Szapucki. The game will not be televised.

Defense first
Not long after signing Albert Almora Jr. to a $1.25 million contract this winter, the Mets inked a similar deal with Kevin Pillar -- another center fielder whose presence threatened to marginalize Almora. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Almora is six years younger than Pillar, with a stronger recent defensive track record.

Although Almora does have accessible Minor League options, meaning the Mets could send him to Triple-A Syracuse without penalty, he is thinking bigger.

“It might sound silly, it might not,” Almora said. "But I know the type of person and the type of player I am -- and the experiences that I’ve been through. I feel like I can help a lot.”

Almora referred to adjustments he’s worked on, after batting .167 over 28 games last season -- part of his steady decline since breaking in with the Cubs as a hyped prospect in 2016. In New York, Almora hopes a change of scenery can help spark the offensive part of his game.

“You know, it’s a game of failure and it’s a game of adjustments that you have to constantly keep making,” Almora said. “But I feel like I’m in a really good place and I’m excited to compete. I’m excited to go to war with these guys.”

New face
Carlos Carrasco threw his first bullpen session as a Met on Sunday, after arriving several days late due to routine additional medical screening.

“This opportunity over here, I like it,” Carrasco said. “I’ve enjoyed it already -- and I can’t wait until the season starts.”

Turning heads
Asked if any under-the-radar names have impressed him at camp, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner identified reliever Jacob Barnes, whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Angels in October.

Barnes survived the entire offseason on the 40-man roster, meaning he now stands a reasonable chance of making the team -- in part because he is out of Minor League options. The 30-year-old posted a 5.50 ERA in 18 appearances in Los Angeles last season, with a 4.36 mark over a five-year career with the Brewers, Royals and Angels.

“This guy has been in the big leagues for a little while,” Hefner said. “I’ve seen some success. But we feel like he’s been in a really good position to go out and have a great spring -- and put him in a position to potentially help us this year.”

Two camp additions
The Mets added sixth-ranked prospect J.T. Ginn to big-league camp this weekend. Ginn, the organization’s second-round pick in the 2020 Draft, has not pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery early last year. He’ll continue his rehab in Port St. Lucie.

The team also added veteran catcher Caleb Joseph on a Minor League deal. Joseph will serve as depth behind presumptive 26-man roster players James McCann and Tomás Nido.

The additions bring the total number of players in camp to 73, just two off the maximum allowed by MLB. New York’s top nine prospects are all on site.