PHILADELPHIA – The Mets are continuing to take a huge hit at shortstop.
Javier Baez left the Mets’ 3-0 loss to the Phillies on Sunday in the top of the fifth inning with what the team is calling “left hip tightness.” He grounded out to second and didn’t run down the line, instead grabbing his hips and trudging straight from the batter’s box to the dugout alongside manager Luis Rojas.
Baez is day-to-day, Rojas said after the game. He will continue to receive treatment on Monday, the team’s day off, and be reassessed before determining whether he will need a stint on the injured list. The Mets did not make Baez available for comment.
“The level of concern is not as high as it was when it happened in-game,” the skipper said of Baez. “When I saw him not moving out of the box, for me it was concerning. I thought it was his oblique. … He told me he felt tightness, like locked up immediately when he was approaching the dugout.
“We’re more optimistic now about what it was that took him out of the game.”
Baez joins injured shortstops Francisco Lindor (oblique strain), Luis Guillorme (hamstring strain) and Jose Peraza (fractured middle finger). Jonathan Villar figures to play at shortstop if Baez needs days off, which will make J.D. Davis the everyday third baseman.
ROJAS URGES FANS TO OFFER SUPPORT
After the Mets failed to lead the Phillies at any moment during this weekend’s three-game series and lost four games in a row for the first time this year, Rojas was unflappable in his optimism. He repeated over and over, the Mets are a strong group, and they just have to begin believing in themselves.
But after the fan base watched the Mets go from first place to third—over eight days—in a seemingly uncontrollable free fall, it’s reasonable to expect supporters to lose hope. Rojas, after his team was swept by the Phillies, urged fans to remain positive.
“Fans should be supporting the guys at this point,” Rojas said. “These guys, they come in everyday ready to play, ready to give their 100% and I think all of them need their support. Nothing more than positive support will help the player play at their best – knowing that they have their fan base behind them.
“I think that’s the best advice for the fan base right now. These players are working hard. We’ve had some tough losses, they feel them, they turn the page quick. Every day, they come to the field to put the team in a position to win. Just because they haven’t done it lately doesn’t mean that the guys are down or disconnected. They want to keep going. I’m sure that the fan-base energy will be great behind them as well.”
MARTINEZ BEGINS REHAB ASSIGNMENT
Jose Martinez began a rehab assignment with Low-A Port St. Lucie on Sunday for the first time since he tore his meniscus in spring training. The Mets picked up Martinez over the offseason, envisioning he would be a power bat off the bench for them this year. The team certainly could still use his help, but there is no clear timeline on when he’ll potentially join the big league club.
“It will be nice to have that bat, especially against lefties,” Rojas said.
Martinez played as an outfielder and first baseman during four seasons with the Cardinals. He has a .289/.356/.447 career slashline with a .803 OPS. Rojas said the Mets will intend to play him at left and right field and maybe even first base, if and when he is healthy and cleared for the major-league roster.
