Shortly before Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets revealed that struggling third baseman Mark Vientos would not be starting due to a new injury.
Vientos, who is having trouble maintaining his position in the lineup, had further bad news when the team made its statement. Some observers predict that Vientos will ultimately be benched in favor of another elite talent, even though he had a breakout season in 2024.
Mets Cautious About Injury to Mark Vientos
Vientos was originally brought into the lineup for Friday’s game, batting second, but the Mets subsequently revealed that outfielder Starling Marte had taken his spot.
In a post on X, the team stated that Mark Vientos was benched from tonight’s game due to stomach pains for precautionary reasons.
The squad then had another setback when outfielder Brandon Nimmo was withdrawn from the game due to a stiff neck; the extent of Vientos’ injury was still unknown. After rallying to level the game with three runs in the ninth inning, the Mets fell 7-5 in the 12th inning after failing to score a run in three extra frames.
Following the game, Vientos informed reporters that he will retest the injury before to Saturday’s encounter with the Dodgers.
According to the New York Post, Vientos described it as “just a weird pain.” “I’m not really concerned about it. I’ll visit [on Saturday] to observe the situation.
Vientos blasted 27 home runs with an OPS of.837 in 2024, making him a breakout star. However, he has since fallen into a slump for the second year. This season, he has a.674 OPS, five home runs, and a.232 batting average.
Brett Baty Could Take Over for Mark Vientos
According to some insiders, Brett Baty, who at first found it difficult to hold down a position in the lineup in Queens and alternated between Triple-A in Syracuse and the big club, may replace Vientos in the starting lineup.
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Baty is currently a more valuable member of the club since the Mets’ pitching staff is concentrating on ground balls. Vientos may still be used as the team’s designated hitter, but Baty should be chosen over Vientos because of his superior defense, according to Sammon.
“I would almost always like to see [Baty] at third base.” According to SI.com, Sammon stated, “He deserves it.” He’s aggressively pursuing the ball at third base and isn’t letting it bounce to him the way he did when he initially came up a few years back. He wasn’t that way; he was always doubting himself. He is grasping the ball.
Carlos Mendoza, the manager of the Mets, stated that he thinks Vientos can still make things better.
“I wouldn’t say [he’s] pressing; I just see it as, sometimes, they go through it defensively, the same way they go through struggles at the plate,” Mendoza stated. “He may be considering it after a few missed plays here and there, particularly some simple ones, but I don’t think he’s pressuring because of Baty’s predicament. Absolutely not. Together, these two men came up. Healthy competition has always existed. They support one another. That’s not how I see things.
“He will be alright as long as he keeps up his hard work and effort.”
