3 Mets players with the biggest health concerns going into the 2024 season
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The New York Mets were no stranger to the injury bug during the 2023 season, which has left some concern from fans when it comes to certain players that are currently on the 2024 roster. While we can always hope for the best, most Mets fans are always prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Between players from last season's squad as well as an addition this offseason, there are legitimate concerns about whether we can expect the type of impact on the field that we are accustomed to seeing from each of these players. If all three of these players stay healthy over the course of a 162-game season, the Mets may be in better shape than we think.
1) Starling Marte
The most obvious candidate on the Mets' current roster that has major question marks surrounding him is outfielder Starling Marte. Marte, who is now 35 years of age, is coming off an injury-riddled 2023 campaign that even forced him to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic last spring. After only playing in 86 games, while struggling with many career-low statistics, the Mets are counting on a bounce-back season from Marte.
Marte has been participating in Winter Ball in his native Dominican Republic as he looks to ramp up activity before Spring Training gets underway next month. It's almost imperative to say that a significant part of the Mets' success this season, depends on Sterling Marte's health and performance in 2024.
Marte was a huge part of the Mets' success back in 2022 and the offense never really gelled in 2023 with him in and out of the lineup at various points of the season. While we shouldn't expect an All-Star season out of Marte, if he can get back to his previous form and play anywhere between 140-150 games this season, the Mets offense will be in great shape.
2) Luis Severino
One of the first signings the Mets made this winter was signing former New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino to a one-year $13 million deal. The 29-year-old Severino has had a mixed bag of results throughout his Yankees tenure, but when he has been healthy there is no doubt he has shown the capabilities of being a front-line starting pitcher.
Injuries however have not allowed Severino to reach his full potential, as he has dealt with shoulder and lat injuries, as well as underwent a Tommy John procedure back in 2020. Last year Severino struggled with performance (6.65 ERA) and was shut down in September with an oblique strain.
Luis Severino is the type of high-upside, low-risk signing that could pay dividends for the Mets if pitching coach Jeremy Hefner can work some magic with his mechanics on the mound, as well as if Severino is able to make close to 30 starts, which he has not done since 2018. That's a BIG if.
The Mets starting rotation could really use some reliability behind ace Kodai Senga this season, and Luis Severino, provided he is healthy, has a chance to cash in big next offseason with a return to his 2022 form. As much as Mets fans won't like to admit it, a huge portion of their starting pitching success depends on the former cross-town rival's health.
3) Edwin Diaz
All Mets fans know what happened to our star closer last season during the World Baseball Classic, and we all know as we look towards 2024 that at this time that incident is not worth revisiting. However, Diaz's progress this spring and as the season rolls along in regards to his health will need to be monitored.
Diaz did a remarkable job rehabbing his torn patellar tendon last season, as there were talks of him even potentially getting into game action at some point late in the season, which ultimately never came to fruition. In turn, when pitchers and catchers report, there may not be more eyes on one single pitcher than Edwin Diaz.
Coming off of surgery on a serious knee injury it'll be pertinent to watch early on in Spring Training when Diaz gets back into game action on how comfortable he looks on the mound. The Mets will be depending heavily on Diaz in a newly reconstructed bullpen, and if Diaz's performance suffers early on due to any lingering effects from the surgery or his injury, this year's team will be in big trouble.
The Mets will be heavily dependent on all of these players to perform to their capabilities, as well as counting on their health holding up over the course of a full season. If all three players are able to stay healthy in 2024, the Mets will be in a much better position to make the playoffs than they were last season.
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