As bad as the New York Mets' offense has been over the last several games, they do appear close to getting one key veteran bat back in their lineup.
Ahead of Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that Jorge Polanco (Achilles, wrist) went through a full workout today and will hopefully begin a rehab assignment as soon as this week.
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the Mets in the offseason, has been on the injured list since April 14 with a wrist injury. The veteran infielder was also nursing Achilles bursitis, which he initially tried to play through before landing on the shelf primarily with that injury.
Prior to going on the IL, Polanco was batting just .179/.246/.286 with one home run, two RBI and an OPS of .532 in 14 games.
What Polanco's role with the Mets may look like in his return
The 32-year-old entered this season as the Mets' starting first baseman, following the departure of homegrown first baseman Pete Alonso in the offseason. But Polanco's lingering Achilles issue may be something he'll have to deal with throughout the rest of the season upon his return.
That likelihood has led Mendoza to admit that the 32-year-old will be New York's primary designated hitter when he returns, and that Polanco could also get "a game or two" at first base.
"The way we see it is a lot of DH," Mendoza said. "Hopefully, we can get him a game or two at first base, but try to keep him off his feet as much as possible."
Since Polanco's injury, Mark Vientos has had the bulk of the reps at first base, as well as Brett Baty and Jared Young. The latter is expected to return from his injury (meniscus tear) in the coming days.
With the Mets' offense one of the worst in all of Major League Baseball, they clearly don't want to take any chances with the veteran slugger. They will instead opt to play things safe and hope Polanco can provide a spark that the lineup desperately needs.
