The New York Mets are facing lineup complications as Jorge Polanco remains limited to designated hitter duty and Juan Soto is temporarily filling that role due to calf discomfort. Polanco, a key offseason acquisition, has been unable to play first base since returning from the injured list and is not expected to be considered for the position until next month. This situation created a lineup crunch, necessitating Soto’s placement at DH for recent games.
Soto exited Thursday’s game with calf discomfort, prompting the team to keep him in the DH spot for Saturday and Sunday's games to avoid aggravating the issue. "We just want to ensure he’s not carrying it with him past these couple of games," interim manager Andy Green said. "We would have liked to get [Polanco] back in the lineup today, but this is more about just ensuring this is behind [Soto]."
Polanco has struggled since his return, hitting 3-for-21 (.143) in six games. His limited availability due to the ongoing need for him to DH means the team is still working to find consistent playing time for him.
In other injury news, outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is anticipated to rejoin the Mets during their upcoming series in Milwaukee. Robert Jr. has been on the 60-day injured list for the past 2.5 months while rehabbing a lumbar spine disc herniation. Additionally, pitcher Clay Holmes is progressing in his recovery from a broken right fibula. Holmes threw 45 pitches in a simulated game on Saturday after his scheduled rehab start was rained out. He has spent two months on the injured list.
The Mets recently secured a series victory at Citizens Bank Park, their first there since August 2022. They also won their first road series since June 7 in San Diego. However, pitcher A.J. Minter allowed a home run to Alec Bohm in the seventh inning of a recent game, marking the second time in his past three appearances that he has surrendered at least one run. This follows a streak of 14 consecutive appearances without allowing a run earlier in the season.