Ronny Mauricio's injury comes in what is actually a low-key make or break season

When we actually get to see Ronny Mauricio play again is one of the great unknowns. What we can conclude is that the New York Mets may need to actually put him on the major league roster. Otherwise the Mets burn their last minor league option on him.

The torn ACL which guarantees Mauricio a spot on the IL to begin the season is an unfortunate curveball the Mets didn't need thrown their way. It removes one serious contender for the third base job. More troubling, it limits how much more time they'll have to decide on whether or not Mauricio is the real deal.

This was already an important year for Mauricio. It should have been a make or break campaign but now due to the injury, the team will have to be especially cautious.

The Mets may need to make a Ronny Mauricio decision faster than they'd like

Long thought of as a trade candidate, this injury will put those thoughts to rest for a nap. Mauricio remains an unproven yet young and promising player we're all hopeful can have some sort of role with the team or at least get used as an asset in a trade.

Drink from whatever cup you'd like. We just don't want him to become irrelevant.

Coming into this season, Mauricio already had a favorable chance to make the Opening Day roster. In fact, the Mets should have set themselves up to expect it. The absolute lowest ceiling he can provide them is utility player with some speed and power. Getting more of a sample than just last September felt like the necessary next step to take with him.

Using Mauricio won’t run as smoothly in 2024. A full recovery and availability to play should force him onto the major league roster. That precious final minor league option needs to be used in case Mauricio isn’t performing well enough, not to delay him from getting MLB at-bats again. This same unfortunate limitation will lessen his trade value, too. Unsure of who he really is as a ballplayer, a forced commitment with the only eject button being a DFA is unappealing.

The Mets can learn from this Mauricio situation when it comes to Luisangel Acuna. The first of his three minor league options was used last year when the Texas Rangers reassigned him to the minors. A candidate to get some games for the Mets this year, he’ll lose a second if he spends 20 days or more in the minors once the season begins. The key will be timing his promotion correctly. When it happens, the Mets should want him to stay for good.