Luis Robert Jr. was scheduled to play another minor league rehab game Tuesday with Double-A Binghamton, but he was held out. Interim manager Andy Green indicated that Robert would instead “work out” and the team “hopefully” expects him to play for Binghamton on Wednesday.
For the Mets, who have been heavily impacted by injuries to key players throughout the season, predicting player returns has become challenging. Robert stated through an interpreter after a 16-12 loss that he felt “really good” and that the organization aimed to prevent any setbacks.
Robert, who has been on the injured list since April with a lumbar spine disc herniation, has played three rehab games with Triple-A Syracuse. He expressed frustration with the extended absence, noting it's the longest he's missed since 2021. "It's hard to be out and it's something that’s happened a good amount in my career," Robert said.
Regarding the team's outfield alignment upon Robert's potential return, Green acknowledged that all available players would be part of the mix. "We’ll cross that bridge when we get there," Green said. "All of those guys will be part of the mix. We’ll create the best matchup for those guys and continue to challenge A.J. and Carson to develop and be winning baseball players. They’ve done that very well."
In other roster moves, Jorge Polanco was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, leading to Ronny Mauricio being optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Mauricio had appeared in only 17 games this season with a .440 OPS. Right-hander Alex Carrillo was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Polanco. Carrillo, 29, has pitched for Syracuse and last pitched for the Mets in 2023. Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga was also designated for assignment after Matt Seelinger was selected to the major league roster.
Separately, Marcus Semien, who is dealing with a left hip flexor strain, ran at 80 percent on Monday. Green stated that Semien is “progressing well, but that doesn’t mean we have a [return] date yet." Brett Baty has started at second base for the last 10 games in Semien's absence.