New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien is expected to miss at least four to six weeks after additional testing revealed a Grade 3 left hip flexor strain, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The veteran infielder was originally placed on the 10-day injured list on June 25, but the latest diagnosis confirmed a significantly more serious injury.
Semien, 35, is in his first season with the Mets after arriving from the Texas Rangers in an offseason trade for Brandon Nimmo. A three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and 2023 World Series champion, he has appeared in 80 games this season while batting .214 with a .271 on-base percentage, a .612 OPS, nine home runs and 29 RBIs.
Those numbers sit well below his career standards. A .252 career hitter with 262 home runs entering the season, Semien has long been regarded as one of baseball's most durable players, leading the big leagues in games played four times between 2019 and 2023. The Grade 3 strain is among the more serious soft-tissue injuries a player can sustain, typically requiring six to eight weeks of rest and rehabilitation before a return to full activity.
Semien initially tried to play through discomfort after developing hip flexor soreness in late May. He remained in the lineup until June 24, when he played both games of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs despite noticeably limited movement and committed two errors in the nightcap.
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Before the full diagnosis was known, manager Carlos Mendoza addressed Semien's effort.
"It's a tough one there. This is something he has been battling for weeks now. It goes to show you this guy is [as] tough as it comes. He continues to put the team first; he sacrificed a lot."
With Semien sidelined until at least early August, Brett Baty is expected to handle most of the work at second base, while Ronny Mauricio, recently recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, should receive additional opportunities. The extended absence gives the Mets a chance to evaluate younger players ahead of the trade deadline.
New York enters Monday's series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 35-49 record, sitting fifth in the National League East and 15 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. The club has dropped eight of its last nine games and has slipped out of serious postseason contention.
For a club already 15 games out of first place, Semien's timeline matters less for this season than for what it signals about the organization's direction. The next several weeks belong to Baty and Mauricio, and what they show could define the Mets' approach to the remainder of 2026.
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