The Mets announced that infielder Marcus Semien has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Fellow infielder Zack Short has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move. The club’s 40-man roster count drops to 39.
Semien’s return from the IL is surprisingly quick. A left hip flexor strain put him on the shelf June 25. A few days later, it was reported that he had a Grade 3 strain, the most severe kind, with an expected timeline of at least four to six weeks. Now he’s back just three weeks after his IL placement.
There’s not much incentive for the Mets or Semien to have rushed the timeline. The club is 40-57 and 12 games back of a playoff spot. It’s clearly not their year and they will be selling at the deadline. Semien won’t have appeal as a 35-year-old who is having a poor season and is making a hefty salary through 2028. Presumably, he just healed up quicker than anticipated and can retake his second base position, pushing Brett Baty into a utility role.
Semien’s return leads to yet another transaction for Short, who has had a whirlwind year. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in the offseason but was traded to the Nationals and then Tigers. He got a stint on Detroit’s roster in May but was designated for assignment after just a few days. He was re-signed a few days later, then was designated for assignment again in June. He was claimed by the Mets, though another DFA came later that month. He was outrighted and then added back to the roster last week.
Those transactions are a reflection of the fact that Short is out of options and also has limited appeal. He doesn’t bring anything to the table offensively, with a .140/.262/.180 line this year and a .169/.270/.286 slash in his career.
Defensively, public metrics don’t like him very much. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average rank him as subpar at shortstop and third base, with both stats having him close to neutral at second. Teams must have internal metrics that look more fondly on his glovework because he’s certainly not getting all these opportunities from his bat. He will mostly likely be on waivers once again in the coming days. If he clears, he would have the right to elect free agency since he has been previously outrighted in his career.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images
