NEW YORK -- Jorge Polanco’s sore left Achilles tendon, a problem since the opening weekend of the season, could eventually force him to the injured list.
Manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged that much on Thursday afternoon after leaving Polanco off his lineup card due to continued lower-leg discomfort. While no decision is imminent, the Mets have spent weeks treading carefully with Polanco, who began feeling Achilles soreness in the second game of the season and has been limited to DH duties ever since. The Mets have defined his issue as Achilles tendinitis.
“It’s kind of day to day,” Mendoza said. “There’s going to be some good days, and there’s going to be days where he feels it more. And yesterday was one of those days.”
Asked specifically about the prospect of an IL stint, Mendoza responded: “It is a possibility that we get to a point that we need to give him a break. It’s fluid.”
The Mets aren’t there yet with Polanco, despite the fact that he has produced little at the plate over the first two weeks of the season. After going 1-for-3 with two walks on a healthy Achilles on Opening Day, Polanco has hit .189/.250/.270 in nine games since.
“There’s days where he comes in and he feels really good that he goes out there and does a little bit of defensive work,” Mendoza said. “And then there’s days where he feels it more. We’re watching it closely here and will see what happens.”
With Polanco limited to DH duties, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Jared Young have all seen time at first base. Recently, since Juan Soto landed on the IL, Vientos has taken over full-time first-base duties with Baty shifting to the outfield.
The Mets signed Polanco, 32, to a two-year, $40 million contract over the offseason.