McNeil and Acuna both are infielders who have dabbled in center — McNeil recently in a couple of minor-league games, Acuna last year in a bunch of minor-league games. So if the Mets want both in the lineup at those spots, they have two options:

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand) and second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) could be activated when the team starts a road trip Friday at Washington.

“I think difficult decisions are a good thing when we have players that we want to keep here,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday before the Mets faced the Phillies at Citi Field. “As we get healthier, these decisions are going to become more and more a part of our thought process.”