The Mets announced that infielder Marcus Semien has been placed on the ten-day injured list with a left hip flexor strain. Infielder Ronny Mauricio has been recalled to take his place on the roster. The Mets also recalled right-hander Daniel Duarte. The pitching staff had an opening after lefty David Peterson was traded to the Cubs. Righty Jonathan Pintaro, the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader, was also returned to Triple-A Syracuse. Chelsea Janes of SNY reported on Semien’s IL placement prior to the official announcement.
It’s unclear when Semien hurt his hip or how serious the injury is. Semien played in both ends of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Cubs, though he didn’t perform well. He went 1-8 on the day and made two errors in the nightcap, part of an awful six-error performance from the Mets’ infield.
Losing Semien to the injured list isn’t exactly a blow for the club, as he is struggling through the worst season of his career. The 35-year-old has a .214/.271/.341 line on the year, translating to a 73 wRC+. He has been an excellent defender throughout his career but his grades have plummeted this season, as he has been credited with minus-five Defensive Runs Saved and minus-two Outs Above Average. FanGraphs considers him to have been below replacement level on the year.
Perhaps the hip issue is something that has been nagging for a while, which could partially explain Semien’s poor season. Ideally, resting up and getting the issue over with would get him back on track. As recently as last year, he was able to accrue 2.1 wins above replacement in the eyes on FanGraphs. His offense was subpar but the glovework and baserunning made him a valuable player.
The Mets sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers in a one-for-one swap this winter. The Mets were hoping this would improve the club’s infield defense, which hasn’t worked so far. The swap involved taking on more money annually, though Semien’s contract will be done after 2028 whereas Nimmo is signed through 2030.
While Semien is out, the Mets could give Mauricio some run at the keystone. Though he was once one of the club’s top prospects, he hasn’t yet been able to carve out a regular role in the majors. He debuted in 2023 but then missed all of 2024 due to a torn ACL. He was back with the big league club for the final few months of 2025 and hit .226/.293/.369 in 61 games. This year, he has been up and down with the Mets. A thumb fracture in early May kept him on the injured list until this week. Mauricio is in his final option season.
In addition to Mauricio, Brett Baty and A.J. Ewing could see some time at the position. Baty logged 373 innings at second last year. Due to Semien’s presence, he has hardly played there this season. He mostly played third while Bo Bichette was covering short for Francisco Lindor, though Lindor came off the IL yesterday. Ewing has mostly been an outfielder in his professional career but he has played second in the minors.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
