WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – The Mets lost some of their depth as a position player on Monday when an MRI scan of José Martínez’s left knee revealed a broken meniscus. Martínez will be operated on this week and will lose about four months of the season, according to coach Luis Rojas.
Mets signed a split contract with Martínez over the off-season, with plans to make him compete for a seat on the opening day’s bench. But Martínez was injured when chasing a hit ball in Sunday’s game against the Marlins, planting his leg awkwardly while trying to avoid a collision with referee Greg Gibson. He needed a stroller to drive around the clubhouse that night and he didn’t feel any better when he woke up on Monday.
Still, the Mets remained optimistic until Monday’s test results dashed those hopes.
“I’m a little surprised by the [time frame]”Said Rojas. “I hoped it was something that would take time to get him back on the field, but not for more than four months. … We will now pray for the best for him, that the surgery goes well and the recovery goes well ”.
Even before the injury, Martínez was in the Mets team’s bubble as a right-handed hitter, with significant power but some defensive limitations. Now that Martínez is no longer being considered for Opening Day, the team’s bench decisions are relatively straightforward: preventing another injury or escape performance at the camp (or a decision to go with a four-man bench), the Mets will likely carry catcher Tomás Nido, field players Jonathan Villar and Luis Guillorme, and field players Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr.
In addition, the Mets have many others in the field in Secondary League businesses, including veterans Brandon Drury, Jake Hager and Mallex Smith.
“We have a lot of depth,” said Rojas.
Concerns of the hot corner
The day after Jeff McNeil made three mistakes on third base, JD Davis – the likely Mets holder on third – made another in the Mets’ 9-5 loss to Nacional. With the help of teammate Francisco Lindor, Davis spent the first half of spring training trying to perfect his footwork. His pre-launch setup is closer to the base this year, and he lost about 7 pounds, all in an effort to prove that he deserves to be a daily starter.
“I’m feeling more comfortable there as the days go by,” said Davis. “My problem is never my hands. It is always just the work of the feet and the ability to create angles and just work through the balls. Especially on the hot corner, you always have to move your feet. This is simply the most important thing. “
Mets leaders spent much of the off-season exploring alternatives on third base, before finally deciding to go with Davis, who followed his 2019 campaign with a disappointing 0.277 / 0.371 / 0.379 cutoff in ’20. Because of this, their work status remains tenuous. In addition to Villar and Guillorme, who are candidates for stealing representatives from Davis as a third party, team officials reportedly expressed interest in free agent Maikel Franco.
Still, Davis believes that a complete leap from his natural position will be enough to defuse the organization’s concerns.
“I don’t think there is much pressure,” said Davis. “I know what I’m capable of with the bat. It is only a matter of time between making the representatives and acclimating. “
Bringing the heat
The Mets’ fourth prospect, Matthew Allan, lit the radar in his first Grapefruit League game of his career, at 96-97 mph with his fastball. Although Allan allowed four strokes and three runs (one deserved) in his inning, he was injured by a bit of bad luck – a bloop and a swinging bunt were both for hitting – as well as a field error behind him.
“I think it is a good experience for him to go around,” said Rojas. “The thing, as you saw, was clear. He maybe overplayed the quickball a little bit. He was trying to find your command. “
Allan is one of several players on the pitch while the Mets are looking to give their players experience after a lost season in the Minor League. And this group is not just here to show off. In addition to Allan, the Mets gave significant play representations to Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Alvarez and others.
“So far, my short time here has been remarkable,” said Allan earlier this spring. “Just being close to all the guys, seeing the guys up close, how they are, how they follow their routine … that’s a big thing that they emphasize on being here is learning more about you.”
Mets cetera
• Initial pitcher Jordan Yamamoto allowed two races not won in three entries against Nacional. He is apparently competing for a job on the rotation, but it seems more likely that he will have a ticket to the Mets alternative training site as soon as the camp is interrupted.
• Taijuan Walker will make his Mets debut on Tuesday against the Cardinals in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Walker was a little behind the other Mets starters because of how late he signed, but he has been doing regular bullpen sessions and should have enough time to speed up for Opening Day.
• Of the five unlearned races the Mets allowed on Monday, one was accused of Dellin Betances, who reached 94 mph on the radar, but was generally lower, at 91-92 mph. Betances is hopeful of a turnaround after producing an ERA 7.71 during an injury-filled 2020. “I still have some time,” he said. “There are things that I can do much better.”