The New York Mets' nightmare 2026 season only continues to get worse.
On Thursday, Chelsea Janes of SNY reported that the Mets placed starting second baseman Marcus Semien on the 10-day injured list. The 35-year-old is dealing with a left hip flexor strain. In a corresponding move, shortstop Ronny Mauricio was called up from Triple-A Syracuse.
Semien has been emblematic of the Mets' struggles this year, as he was the first acquisition during the team's transformative offseason. New York traded longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Semien; both players were under long-term contracts. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns believed that Semien aligned more with his "run prevention" strategy than Nimmo did, as the veteran middle infielder won the Gold Glove Award at second base in 2025.
However, Semien's offensive production had declined rapidly over the past two seasons; in 2025, he slashed only .230/.305/.364 with an 89 wRC+. Stearns anticipated that Semien would return to form offensively in hopes of replacing Nimmo's production, while getting Gold Glove-caliber defense at a premium position. Instead, the Mets are getting neither.
Before landing on the IL, Semien's deterioration became even more pronounced. He's hitting just .214/.271/.341 with a career-worst 73 wRC+ in 318 plate appearances. His defense has also sharply declined; after recording five defensive runs saved and six fielding runs in 2025, Semien has -5 DRS and -3 fielding runs this year. Overall, Semien has posted -0.1 fWAR while being paid $26 million this season, and the Mets are now saddled with one of the worst contracts in baseball.
Semien isn't the only new Mets acquisition to struggle this year. Jorge Polanco, who replaced Pete Alonso at first base, has only played 14 games due to Achilles issues. Bo Bichette, the Mets' big free agent signing during the winter, has a mediocre .688 OPS in 349 plate appearances, although he is returning to All-Star form this month. Freddy Peralta, who the Mets acquired in a blockbuster trade to be their ace, has a bloated 4.83 ERA in 85.2 innings pitched.
Even Stearns' emphasis on run prevention has backfired, as the Mets committed six errors in the second game of their doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs last night. This has all resulted in a 34-46 record, the third-worst in the National League.
As for Mauricio, he has yet another opportunity to prove himself at the MLB level. The 25-year-old switch-hitting infielder was initially called up on April 23 after Francisco Lindor was placed on the IL, but landed on the injured list himself on May 3 with a left thumb fracture. Mauricio was activated and optioned to Triple-A Syracuse yesterday before being called back up today. Through 10 major league games this year, he is 7-for-32 (.219) with a home run.
The Mets, with Lindor back but now without Semien, will try to avoid a four-game sweep of the Cubs at Citi Field tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM EST, with Peralta facing Chicago's Matthew Boyd.
