MILWAUKEE — Luis Robert Jr. marked his return to the New York Mets with a significant blast, hitting a 451-foot home run that was the longest at American Family Field this season. The homer contributed to the Mets' 4-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. This was Robert Jr.'s second game back after being sidelined since April 27 with a lumbar spinal disc herniation.
"[Monday] and today, those first couple of at-bats I was just trying to get into a rhythm," Robert Jr. said through an interpreter. His home run was the fifth longest of his career, according to Statcast, and his third of the season. He started in center field alongside rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge.
Robert Jr. lauded his young outfield mates, stating, “It’s a beautiful thing because none of us have to cover that much ground when we’re all out there. It’s a lot of fun because any of us can get to those balls at any moment.”
Carson Benge, a rookie outfielder, has steadily improved this season. After a slow start, Benge entered Tuesday with an .809 OPS in July, continuing a trend of strong performance over the previous two months, with a .750 OPS in June and .801 in May. His OPS was .498 on May 2.
"It’s just getting adjusted to the league," Benge said before going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. "After I kind of figured it out the first time, it kind of helped me realize how to get back on track if I’m not doing too well."
Andy Green, who oversees the Mets' farm system and is the team's interim manager, commented on Benge's composure. "I think he’s wired as a person to handle the ups and downs that come with the big leagues and not make a mountain out of every molehill, because that mountain just gets bigger if you do," Green said. "He just shows up and plays baseball and does that well. When you put the ball in play at good angles like he does, you tend to get a lot of hits.”
In other team news, pitcher Clay Holmes is expected to participate in a minor league rehab game later this week as he recovers from a fibula fracture. Holmes threw 45 pitches in a simulated game on Saturday, but his specific rehab assignment details were not yet confirmed.