Michael Conforto spent Wednesday night in familiar territory: at dinner at a favorite restaurant on the Upper East Side with his wife.
The rest of his Opening Day experience was considerably different, spending it with a team other than the Mets for the first time in his career.
In a scheduling quirk, Conforto’s Giants opened their season Thursday afternoon in The Bronx, with Conforto batting second — one spot in front of another ex-Met, Wilmer Flores — and playing right field in a 5-0 loss.
“It feels like it’s another debut, almost, for me,’’ Conforto said before the season opener for both teams. “I’m sure there will be some jitters, but I’m just so happy to be back.”
After striking out looking in his first two at-bats against Gerrit Cole, he lined a single over Anthony Volpe at shortstop to lead off the top of the sixth against the right-hander.
It was the latest step in Conforto’s comeback from shoulder surgery last April that ended up costing him all of last season.
His last major league game before Thursday was in October 2021.
After sitting out all of last year and coming off a subpar 2021 season with the Mets, the 30-year-old signed a two-year, $36 million deal to go to San Francisco.
Conforto went 10-for-47 with four homers in the Cactus League, with his hitting feeling good right away and the surgically repaired shoulder better throughout the spring.
“I don’t know if there was doubt I’d be all the way back, but there were good days and bad days,’’ Conforto said of the rehab process after he injured himself during last year’s MLB lockout.
“I knew I’d play again, it just takes time. Was I gonna be 100 percent the same player? That’s a different story.”
And that won’t be fully known until he shows it during the regular season.
“It counts now,’’ Conforto said. “It’s a different speed. If I can keep up with it here [at the Stadium], I know I’ll be OK. I’ve felt good so far.”
His new manager, Gabe Kapler, has liked what he’s seen.
“I was standing at first base during the workout [Wednesday] talking to Joc [Pederson] and watching Michael swing, that’s the type of swing you’d teach to a little leaguer if you could design it,’’ Kapler said. “The head very still, the power comes from the ground, the lower half rotates really quickly, really good bat-to-ball skills and a nice, easy finish.
“Getting to see that for the first time in a live situation — not spring training — was exciting. It’s been a long road for him.”
