3 NY Mets injuries probably worse for the player than the team

Injuries are only a part of the reason why the New York Mets are where they are. Buying into multiple oft-injured players falls on David Stearns. The inability of certain players to make up for the loss of others falls on members of the cavalry who’ve been asked to step up.

The situation isn’t completely dire. A promising win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday provided a signal of hope even if a tough loss on Saturday poured a bucket of water on it quickly thereafter. Hanging around 5 or 6 games within a NL Wild Card spot at worst for much of the last few weeks, the great hope is for a player like Francisco Lindor to return to the lineup and boost the team’s chances. Expected to be back before the end of June, his injury is different from some others.

Joined on the IL by several other Mets players, fans don’t have as much reason to miss these three. The lost playing time is worse for the individual than it is for the team.

These Mets injuries are more hurtful to the player than the team

1) Luis Robert Jr.

You’ll have a tough time finding a Mets fan hopeful for the return of Luis Robert Jr. from the IL. Why’s that? A.J. Ewing is, on his worst day, an exciting player to watch.

The same could be said of Robert whose defense has the ability to be just as flashy as the current healthy rookie Mets center fielder. We just don’t have the same kind of attachment. He sort of represents the follies of where everything went wrong with this team.

On the player’s behalf, the injury is a bad thing for Robert’s future. He has confirmed he cannot be trusted to stay healthy. It’ll prove costly in free agency which seems to be on its way. The $20 million team option for next year is insanely expensive for a guy who has topped 110 games only once in his career. What’s more, three straight years of hitting .224, .223, and .224 at the moment with the Mets won’t convince too many teams to buy into anything being different.

2) Ronny Mauricio

It’s easy to forget Ronny Mauricio was about to break out and get his chance to prove himself to the Mets and everyone else. Just as quickly as he replaced Francisco Lindor, he got hurt himself.

Hitting only .219 with 12 strikeouts in 32 plate appearances, Mauricio wasn’t contributing much at all for the Mets. Still, with just a little over a week of action at shortstop in place of Lindor before joining him on the IL, one can wonder if maybe he could have turned his season around quickly.

The Mets are no closer to having any kind of conclusion as to what type of player Mauricio can actually be. Nor does anyone else. His trade value is predicated on what may be and not what isn’t. Often a forgotten member of the Mets depth chart, this injury was his best chance to make things complicated.

3) Tyrone Taylor

We should all adore what Tyrone Taylor can do. He’s a fourth outfielder at his best and a fifth outfielder at his worst. Often asked to do more than anticipated since joining the Mets prior to the 2024 season, his .186 batting average isn’t exactly something we’re pining to return.

Playing time for him would, at best, include starts against left-handed pitchers, some at-bats off the bench for lefties, and some pinch running or defensive substituting. If healthy, he’d probably have the roster spot used on Eric Wagaman at the moment, only Taylor would serve a greater purpose.

For him, the lost playing time stings at the moment because he is one of the lesser-realized Mets free agents at the end of the year. Every chance to not improve his numbers is cash coming out of his pockets. Taylor has shown in the past that he might be worth consideration for the smaller half of a platoon with a left-handed bat. Potentially someone who could get replaced altogether, his injury hasn’t made as much of a difference for the Mets in the standings as it will for his own individual value.

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