Mets' Mark Vientos placed on the IL with tendonitis in his left wrist
Mets' Mark Vientos returns to the dugout against the Chicago Cubs during an MLB baseball game at Citi Field on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
ST. LOUIS — Two weeks into his first chance at consistent playing time in the majors, Mark Vientos has to push the pause button.
The Mets put him on the injured list Thursday because of tendonitis in his left wrist. In his place, they brought back outfielder Abraham Almonte — who already had been called up, designated for assignment, and returned to Triple-A Syracuse this month.
Manager Buck Showalter said Vientos should be back after he spends the minimum 10 days on the IL. He is eligible to return Aug. 26 (next Saturday).
“Just to be on the safe side and get it completely cleared up,” Showalter said. “Playing that short for that long was going to be a challenge.”
Vientos, among the less experienced Mets getting an extended look with 2024 in mind, has hit .206 with a .234 OBP and .315 slugging percentage in 21 games since his most recent call-up.
Lucchesi returns
Joey Lucchesi will start Friday against the Cardinals, his first major-league action since May. Showalter didn’t commit to Lucchesi staying beyond the one game.
“I’m hoping Lucchesi takes advantage of another opportunity,” Showalter said. “Guys are trying to make somewhat of a statement that they could be in the mix for us down the road. He’s going to get another chance.”
Lucchesi has been on the minor-league IL with left knee tendinitis for about a month. But he said that problem is over.
“I couldn’t get loaded into my back leg, so it bugged me a little bit,” he said. “But now I can. It feels better. I don’t think it’s a problem now.”
‘A kick in the pants’
The Mets transferred lefthanded reliever Josh Walker (right oblique strain) to the 60-day IL, ending his season.
Walker, a 28-year-old rookie with an extensive injury history, posted rough raw numbers — 8.10 ERA, 1.80 WHIP in 14 appearances — but had shown glimpses of effectiveness recently.
“That was a kick in the pants for us. We were hoping to really finish strong with him this year,” Showalter said. “He seemed to find his step and [was] healthy for the first time, being able to pitch back-to-back [days] and go out there and do things you have to do in order to be on a team next year. It’s still there for him. He showed enough flashes. But it’s unfortunate that he has an injury that — you can do the math with 60 days, what it means.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
