The New York Mets won’t be seeing Jorge Polanco back in the lineup anytime soon. Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters, including Laura Albanese of Newsday, that the $40 million infielder is not close to beginning a rehab assignment as he continues to recover from a right wrist contusion.
Polanco, who signed a two-year deal with the Mets this offseason, was initially expected to help replace the production lost when Pete Alonso left for the Baltimore Orioles on a $150 million contract. Instead, his stint in New York has gotten off to a rough and injury-shortened start. He has played just 14 games, hitting .179/.246/.286 over 61 plate appearances before landing on the injured list.
Injuries have been a recurring theme across the Mets’ roster this season. Outfielder Juan Soto has missed time with a calf issue, while Francisco Lindor is also currently sidelined with a calf injury of his own. As a result, the lineup has struggled to find consistency and remains among the least productive in baseball.
Polanco had shown promise in spring training, posting a strong 146 wRC+ with two home runs and an impressive walk-to-strikeout ratio over 11 games. However, that production has not carried over into the regular season. His 53 wRC+ would rank near the bottom of the league if he qualified, with only a handful of hitters performing worse.
Underlying metrics suggest the struggles aren’t purely bad luck. His hard-hit rate has dropped to 33.3%, his lowest since 2019, and he has managed just two barrels in 45 batted balls. His average exit velocity has also fallen to 87.3 mph, down significantly from his career-best marks. While a low .205 batting average on balls in play hints at some misfortune, his weak contact numbers point to deeper issues.
This latest wrist injury adds to a growing list of health setbacks for Polanco, who also dealt with Achilles soreness earlier in the season.
Durability has long been a concern, as he has topped 130 games in a season only twice since 2018 and reached 500 plate appearances just four times in his 13-year career.
With Polanco sidelined, Mark Vientos has taken over most of the work at first base. The 26-year-old has logged a team-high 90 plate appearances at the position and is hitting .239/.290/.413 with a 97 wRC+ over 28 games.
While his strikeout rate has improved to a career-best 24%, his power has dipped, reflected in a lower ISO compared to previous seasons.
Even with Vientos’ improved contact, the Mets continue to struggle at the position, ranking 24th in OPS at first base with a .644 mark, highlighting another area of concern for a lineup already dealing with multiple injuries and inconsistency.
