Mets get much-needed boost to lineup as Jesse Winker returns from injured list
Fittingly, the road will get a little easier now that the sky isn't falling. Three-game sets with the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals will precede the All-Star break, giving New York runway to reclaim first place in the NL East.
Advertisement
The Mets will have some reinforcements to help finish the first half on the right note.
New York's designated hitters just got turned upside down
A series of roster moves were announced before the Mets' trip to Baltimore. Outfielder Jesse Winker, the left-handed side of New York's DH platoon, was activated from the 60-day injured list. His counterpart, Starling Marte, in a corresponding move, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee bruise.
While the Mets won't be at full strength with Marte's absence, his placement was retroactive to July 7, which means he can return when New York plays host to the Cincinnati Reds to open the second half.
Advertisement
To his credit, Marte posted a .261 batting average against right-handed pitchers, exceeding expectations while Winker rehabbed from his oblique injury. Winker will slide in against righties, but the Mets may opt to maintain their platoon against lefties.
MORE: Jeff McNeil's major adjustment helping fuel Mets
Winker was treading around average when he went down in St. Louis. He brings ample pop from the left side, deepening a lineup that has hit some turbulence between injuries and inconsistencies in the bottom half of the order. His power comes and goes, but Winker has always been a good at-bat, controlling the strike zone and walking over 10% of the time.
Swapping veteran outfielders wasn't the only move New York announced on Tuesday. Starting pitcher Tylor Megill, despite manager Carlos Mendoza's optimism, was placed on the 60-day injured list, pushing his return deep into August.
Advertisement
Southpaw Sean Manaea is yet to make his 2025 debut but is set to make a final rehab assignment in Syracuse on Tuesday. If all goes well, he could get some Major League innings in on Sunday.
He'll be joining a pitching staff that is enduring constant turnover. New York announced that reliever Zach Pop, after just 1.1 innings of three-run ball, has been designated for assignment. Right-handed reliever Alex Carrillo will take his spot. He hasn't allowed a run in AAA after striking out nearly 14 per nine in AA. The Mets will hope to capture lightning in a bottle to give the bullpen some much-needed relief.
New York also signed right-handed pitcher Junior Fernández to a minor-league deal in its perpetual search for MLB arms.
With Winker back in the fold and pitching help on the way, the Mets are positioned well to get hot ahead of, and potentially through, the All-Star break.
Advertisement
MORE MLB NEWS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
18 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa sprains ankle when baserunner slides into him at 2nd
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa had to be helped off the field after injuring his right ankle when Pittsburgh's Tommy Pham slid into him at second base. Pham was trying to get to second on his liner off the wall in right field in the seventh inning of the Twins' 2-1 victory Friday night. Right fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr.'s throw beat Pham, whose batting helmet made contact with Correa's lower leg. Correa rolled over and stayed on the ground before leaving the game. Brooks Lee moved from second base to shortstop to replace Correa. The team said Correa had a mild ankle sprain. The 30-year-old Correa is already in his 11th big league season and has been a mainstay at shortstop for the Twins since signing as a free agent in 2022. He missed about half of last season with a concussion and a plantar fascia injury, the latter of which kept him from playing in the All-Star Game after he was chosen for the third time. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Yanks' Cody Bellinger hits 3rd home run of game against Cubs, an inning after being robbed
NEW YORK (AP) — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn't sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again. 'I didn't know at first,' he said. 'For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.' Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won fifth straight games following a a six-game losing streak. Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP. He spent 2023 and '24 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million. He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall. 'I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,' Bellinger said. 'But it was a good catch.' 'Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,' Bellinger added. A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder's glove. 'I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they'd probably look at it and get it overturned,' Tucker said. 'I've probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone's hand or whatever but I don't know if anyone's ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.' Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row. 'The fan just beat to the spot,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.' Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3. 'Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,' said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. 'I've seen PCA rob so many homers. He's a freak athlete out there.' Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice. 'No, no, no revenge,' he said. 'Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call. 'He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger' over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,' Boone said. 'Belly's loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.' Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse. He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger's teammates could sense the significance. 'It's always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,' Boone said. 'To perform right away against them I'm sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.' ___ AP MLB:
Fox Sports
26 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa sprains ankle when baserunner slides into him at 2nd
Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa had to be helped off the field after injuring his right ankle when Pittsburgh's Tommy Pham slid into him at second base. Pham was trying to get to second on his liner off the wall in right field in the seventh inning of the Twins' 2-1 victory Friday night. Right fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr.'s throw beat Pham, whose batting helmet made contact with Correa's lower leg. Correa rolled over and stayed on the ground before leaving the game. Brooks Lee moved from second base to shortstop to replace Correa. The team said Correa had a mild ankle sprain. The 30-year-old Correa is already in his 11th big league season and has been a mainstay at shortstop for the Twins since signing as a free agent in 2022. He missed about half of last season with a concussion and a plantar fascia injury, the latter of which kept him from playing in the All-Star Game after he was chosen for the third time. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 3
