Jorge Polanco has been on the injured list since mid-April due to a right wrist contusion. He began a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on May 27th and recently moved up to Triple-A Syracuse. However, the Mets announced last night that Polanco’s rehab is being paused due to him experiencing ankle soreness during a running progression. Polanco is being sent for further evaluation.
The new ankle injury continues a frustrating first season in New York for Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40MM contract in December. Polanco only got into 14 games before landing on the IL, batting .179/.246/.286 with a 53 wRC+. He was plagued by left Achilles soreness in that time, which likely contributed to the downturn. Polanco served as the designated hitter in 12 games and played first base in the other two before the wrist injury cropped up. Juan Soto and MJ Melendez have covered DH in the meantime. Mark Vientos has been the primary option at first base.
At this point, it’s hard to tell when Polanco might return from the IL. The Mets will probably proceed with caution in light of Polanco’s renewed ankle issues. There’s also little urgency to bring him back given how badly the team is struggling. New York is in last place in the NL East with a 28-36 record, and they’re already 15.5 games back of the MLB-best Braves. Polanco is probably better than a 53 wRC+ hitter, but even if he were healthy, he alone wouldn’t be enough to overcome the Mets’ offensive woes. An updated timeline on Polanco should be known after the tests are completed.
The Mets’ offense has been one of the league’s worst in 2026, with the group’s 87 wRC+ topping only the Rockies and Padres. Soto is predictably excellent, while Carson Benge, the second-best qualified hitter, has a 97 wRC+ that puts him slightly below average. The other four qualified bats – Brett Baty, Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, and Vientos – are 17-27% worse than average by wRC+. For Mets fans, it’s uninspiring to see Polanco injured while Pete Alonso (who Polanco effectively replaced on the roster) is hitting well in Baltimore. At the end of the day, though, the team’s inability to hit this year goes far beyond Polanco.
The path to respectable hitting will depend on the non-Soto hitters playing up to their true potential. Benge, the club’s No. 3 prospect in 2025 according to MLB.com, will obviously get more time to establish himself in the Majors. Bichette’s batting average, slugging percentage, and wOBA are all at least 50 points behind his expected numbers, so he should improve eventually. Vientos is batting .243 on balls in play, which is well below league average. Baty and Semien are less likely to improve, given the former’s thin offensive track record and the latter’s continued decline in his mid-30s.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
