Mets infielder Jorge Polanco was not in the lineup on Thursday as he continues to deal with an Achilles injury. New York has not ruled out an IL stint for the veteran, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters, including Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Polanco was brought in to be the club’s primary first baseman after Pete Alonso signed with the Orioles. He started the first two games of the season at the position, but has been limited to DH since then. Polanco said the pain in his Achilles “comes and goes,” relayed by Chelsea Janes of SNY. His absence on Thursday ended a streak of four straight starts.
Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Jared Young have all spent time at first base this season. The Juan Soto injury opened up right field reps for Baty, so Vientos has taken over regular work at the cold corner recently. The former prospect has made the most of the increased playing time, slashing .323/.353/.484 across 34 plate appearances. Baty hasn’t done a ton with his chances, but the injuries have allowed the Mets to get a longer look at both players.
While the defensive lineup has shifted around plenty, Mendoza does not plan to adjust the pitching rotation, at least not yet. The skipper was asked specifically about David Peterson after the lefty allowed five earned runs for the second straight start. “As I’m sitting here right now, no,” Mendoza said regarding a pitching staff change, relayed by Janes.
The Diamondbacks jumped all over Peterson on Wednesday, scoring once in the first inning and four more times in the second inning. Peterson settled in over his final three frames, but the Mets’ offense managed just two runs against Ryne Nelson and company. The southpaw’s ERA sits over 6.00 through 14 2/3 innings. It’s a continuation of Peterson’s second-half swoon in 2025. After earning an All-Star selection, Peterson stumbled to a 7.74 ERA over 10 starts from August on.
The Mets don’t have an obvious replacement lined up to take over Peterson’s spot. Sean Manaea opened the year in the bullpen after working primarily as a starter the past two years. His fastball remains under 90 mph, continuing a concerning trend from the spring. Mendoza said the club does not plan to add Manaea back to the rotation right now.
As Janes pointed out, pitching prospects Christian Scott and Jonah Tong have struggled to begin the minor league season. Scott’s been tagged for six earned runs over 8 1/3 innings through two Triple-A starts. The strikeouts have been there for Tong, but he has an ERA over 5.00 across three outings with Syracuse.
On the positive side, left-hander A.J. Minter tossed a scoreless frame at Single-A on Thursday. The reliever is working his way back from a lat injury. He underwent surgery in May and began the 2026 campaign on the injured list. The outing with St. Lucie was his first game action in nearly a year.
Early estimates had Minter returning in May, but he could be back with the Mets before the end of the month. “We started the clock, the rehab process now,” Mendoza told reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “It’ll be one of those where if we have to use every single day, we will. But the fact that he’s in real competition is a good sign.”
Minter is in the final season of a two-year, $22MM deal. He was off to a tremendous start in 2025 before the injury. The lefty gave up a pair of runs against the Marlins in his second appearance, then ripped off 11 straight scoreless outings. Minter pushed his strikeout rate to 31.8%, his best mark since 2022.
The Mets have relied on Brooks Raley and Richard Lovelady as their left-handed bullpen options with Minter out. Raley is tied for the club lead with two holds. He’s punched out seven hitters in five appearances. Lovelady has been scored upon in three of his five games.
Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images
Hence then, the article about mets notes polanco peterson minter was published today ( ) and is available on MLBtraderumors ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Mets Notes: Polanco, Peterson, Minter )
Also on site :