Robert (back) to begin Triple-A rehab assignment Tuesday

TORONTO -- Luis Robert Jr., a key Mets offseason acquisition who has been sidelined since late April, is finally making tangible progress from a lumbar spine disc herniation.

Robert is set to begin a Minor League rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse, putting into motion a timeline that should have him back on the field in July.

For weeks after Robert played in his last Major League game on April 26, he made little apparent progress. But Robert restarted baseball activities earlier this month, setting him up to appear in real games this week. While the Mets don’t have an exact timeframe for Robert’s return, a person with knowledge of the situation estimated he will need a longer spell in the Minors than Francisco Lindor, who returned to the Mets six days after beginning a rehab assignment. Position players can stay on assignment for up to 20 days.

Robert, 28, may have to earn back playing time once he recovers, as the Mets have rolled most days with a relatively successful outfield alignment of Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge. Ewing has fared notably worse against left-handed pitchers, however, so Robert should at least be able to carve out a role on the short side of a center-field platoon.

An offseason trade acquisition from the White Sox, Robert was batting .224 with two homers and a .656 OPS prior to landing on the injured list. The back issue was the latest in a career-defining string of injuries for Robert, who has missed significant time in the past due to hip, knee and hamstring issues.