The Mets have informed reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, that they have placed outfielder Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list due to migraines. The corresponding move might not be known right away since the Mets are playing right now and won’t be able to make use of a new player until tomorrow’s night game. The move is retroactive to July 17.
Marte, 34, hasn’t played in a game since Sunday. He was originally in Tuesday’s lineup but was a late scratch due to this migraine situation, per Andy Martino of SNY. He’s still not in the lineup today and it seems the club has decided to give him some time to try to get past the issue. Since the move is backdated by three days, he could potentially be back in a week if he’s able to feel better.
The veteran is struggling through arguably the worst season of his career. Signed to a four-year, $78MM deal going into 2022, he continued at his established level last year. He hit 16 home runs and batted .292/.347/.468 overall for a wRC+ of 136. This year, unfortunately, he’s down to a line of .254/.308/.332 and a wRC+ of 83.
While that diminished production might make it seem like not such a big loss for the Mets, there are reasons to expect that he might have rounded into his previous form eventually. His 39.9% hard hit rate this year is actually much higher than last year’s 33.9% clip. His 88.4 mph average exit velocity is his highest since 2019. His .309 batting average in balls in play is well south of his .342 career mark and just 7% of his fly balls are leaving the yard. That’s well below his career 13.5% rate and the 12.4% league average. Even without a bounceback at the plate, Marte remains a threat on the basepaths, having already swiped 24 bags this year.
At this point, there’s nothing to suggest Marte is slated for an extended absence, but the timing is notable. The Mets have been floundering for much of the year and are currently 45-50, seven games back of a Wild Card spot. There’s now less than two weeks until the August 1 trade deadline as the Mets try to figure out which kind of moves they want to make. Owner Steve Cohen recently talked about how it would be “silly” to make additions if they stayed well out of contention.
For at least the next week or so, the club will proceed without Marte. Brandon Nimmo is a fixture in center and figures to be flanked by some combination of Mark Canha, Tommy Pham and DJ Stewart, though the upcoming corresponding move could also put someone else in the mix. Jeff McNeil is the regular second baseman but also plays some outfield on occasion. Both Pham and Canha are impending free agents and speculative trade candidates, with Canah reportedly drawing interest from other clubs.
That’s a new one.
Agreed. Usually his wife is giving birth and he needs time off.
Marte’s play this year gives me migraines!
A ballplayer goes on the IL and you announce the move during a getaway game, so you end up a man short in the dugout. Who else but LOLmets.
They literally were not sure they’d put him on the IL because it was a developing situation. He was in the lineup initially, as the article you’re commenting on tells you. What else are they supposed to do?
Also, if they really need that extra roster space for one mostly meaningless afternoon game against the White Sox, I’ll eat my hat.
It seems to me that ChuckyNJ isn’t so much blaming the Mets, but just pointing out that this only seems to happen to the “LOLmets”
I guess what I’m saying is that players get scratched from starts all the time. Whether they’re placed on the IL immediately (“during a game” like Chucky is saying) or after the game, you are effectively down a man on the roster for that game either way. It’s a common/nothing occurrence that Chucky is blowing up into something else because he is a hater.
Further, with Marte, he’s been having migraines for a few days, so they’ve been down a man anyway. So it’s even more of a moot point.
The Mets new hitting coach cares more about his workout routine then he does about trying to get this team to hit
Finally. I agree with you about something.
You could have had Sean Casey.
You might want to see if he works out first. The Yankees need him. Oh wait, I mean the LAST PLACE Yankees need him.
Frank the tank is beyond happy right now
I don’t have any facts to back it up. But I swear it seems like the Mets have paid people more to be on the IL than they have their actual team on the field this year
Frank the Tank needs a defibrillator in every room, hallway, and closet in his house.
I’d make him rhe Mets- bench coach.
Sounds like a perfect candidate for a change of scenery trade. Marte to the Yankees for DJLM. O’Neill moves to the outfield.
Why would the Mets do that? DJL has become a pumpkin and he’s one of my fav. Marte is still useful.
@rmullig2: Given that O’Neill is a Cardinal and already an outfielder, McNeil is a better candidate to move there for the Mets.
I know this will cause the mob to come out but why trade Pham? Next year they most likely would go after someone else for a one year deal, why not keep a known quantity? Yes, slight chance he could re-sign after a trade.
Pham is going to be a free agent, so they can’t keep him for next year unless they re-sign him. They can do that whether or not they trade him now.
I have a migraine from watching them play, so I can’t exactly question if he truly has them. I believe it.
Take two aspirin and come back in a week.
Vientos coming back maybe?
The Mets get caught short, and also keep dismal whatnots like Danny Mendick, DJ Stewart, and Vogelbach around rather than try to light at least a little fire with Vientos and Mauricio.
Mets theory: ‘Better to stick with replacement level veterans than risk rookies with significant upside because instead of going 44-51 we might have gone 43-52.’
This smells like Buck. The Mets are so inept they thought Narvaez was their starting catcher and didn’t realize they had a Rookie of the Year candidate in Alvarez. It must be Jeff Wilpon operating under that Steve Cohen mask.