Starling Marte to Begin Rehab Wednesday
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced Starling Marte will begin his rehab assignment with the Low-A St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday. The 35-year-old has been dealing with a bone bruise in his knee that has kept him sidelined since the latter part of June.
Before Marte was placed on the injured list his knee was noticeably banged up, losing a step or two when tracking down balls in the outfield. However, he continued to be a key component to the offensive surge to bring the Mets season back to life. Over 13 games in June, Marte slashed .304/.360/.457/.817 with three extra-base hits, a home run, and seven RBIs.
With the addition of Jesse Winker and his production against right-handed pitching, Marte’s .917 OPS against left-handed pitching compliments the line-up even more.
Looking ahead to potential roster moves upon Marte’s return it can be speculated that Ben Gamel would be the odd man up. Gamel only saw 14 at-bats in July posting a .214 average over that span. At the same time, Marte said his knee “could have given out at any moment,” while he was playing, causing what will be at least a two-month absence. In addition to Gamel—and with rosters expanding in September—the Mets have players like DJ Stewart, Luke Ritter, and Jackie Bradley Jr. further down the roster as a backups.
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