Mets infielder Mark Vientos is going to be out a while. He was hit by a pitch on his right hand today. In his post-game press conference, as relayed by SNY Mets, interim manager Andy Green said Vientos has suffered a fracture and will be placed on the injured list. Green did not provide a timeline but it seems fair to expect Vientos to miss several weeks.
As seen in this video from MLB.com, Vientos was facing Michael Wacha in the bottom of the second inning. Vientos checked his swing as the pitch from Wacha ran inside and hit his right hand. He was in obvious discomfort. He stayed in the game to run but was replaced in the game defensively in the top of the third.
For the Mets’ season, losing Vientos isn’t necessarily a huge deal. The club has a 40-54 record and is 11.5 games out of a playoff spot. They are going to go into the August 3rd deadline as sellers regardless. Vientos wasn’t going to save the season, especially since he is having a down year, with a .211/.256/.388 slash line and 77 wRC+.
The injury could perhaps impact the summer trade market, however, as Vientos was a potential candidate to be moved. As mentioned, the Mets are lined up to be sellers. They will likely focus on moving impending free agents. That doesn’t apply to Vientos but there would have been reasons for the Mets to listen regardless. He is controlled for three more seasons after this one but is out of options and trending towards a potential non-tender, as he will qualify for arbitration after this campaign.
He showed huge potential with a 27-homer season in 2024, slashing .266/.322/.516 for a 132 wRC+. But he dropped to a .233/.289/.413 line and 97 wRC+ last year. As mentioned, his production has fallen even farther this season. He is not a great defender, so he really needs to hit to provide value. It’s possible the Mets don’t have him in their 2027 plans.
Despite all of that, he could have had appeal to another club. Even as his numbers have declined, he has still hit lefties. He had a .250/.287/.453 line and 105 wRC+ in that split last year. This year, though his overall production is way down, he has a .281/.316/.539 line and 136 wRC+ when facing southpaws. Perhaps some contending club with a lefty-heavy lineup could have found a role for him.
Assuming this injury is going to last for several weeks, a trade should become less likely. Injured players can be traded but other clubs would presumably prioritize healthy guys who have similar profiles.
With Vientos out, the Mets could recall guys like Ronny Mauricio, MJ Melendez or Nick Morabito, who are all on the 40-man roster. Mauricio was just optioned two days when Jorge Polanco came off the IL, so perhaps he is the most likely. Position players normally have to wait ten days after being optioned before they can be recalled but an exception is made if another player is going on the injured list.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images
