Center fielder Luis Robert Jr., whom the Mets acquired in an offseason trade with the White Sox, continued his Minor League rehab assignment on Friday as he works his way back from a lumbar spine disk herniation.
Although he didn’t fare well at the plate over his first three games, which were with Triple-A Syracuse, he’s been better over the past two with Double-A Binghamton.
Here’s the latest on Robert’s rehab, including when he might be back with the Mets:
How did Robert perform?
Robert went 2-for-3 with a long solo home run to left-center field in the eighth inning of Binghamton’s 7-2 loss to Hartford at Dunkin’ Park on Friday night. In two games with Binghamton, he’s gone 4-for-7, with the other three hits being singles. Prior to that, he played three games with Triple-A Syracuse, over which he went 1-for-10 with a single and a walk.
What’s next
While there is no official timeline for Robert’s return to the Mets, he might end up utilizing most or all of the 20-day maximum position player allotment for rehab assignments (his assignment began on June 30).
When he returns, Robert might have to earn back playing time after beginning the season as the Mets’ starting center fielder. New York has had rookie A.J. Ewing patrolling center in Robert’s absence, and Ewing is batting .282 with an .805 OPS following a 2-for-4 performance against the Red Sox on Friday.
Given that the left-handed-hitting Ewing has struggled some against left-handed pitching, however, Robert could find himself at least in a platoon situation upon his return to the Major League club.
What they’re saying
Although Robert got off to a slow start at the plate this season -- he was batting .224 with a .656 OPS over 98 plate appearances when he landed on the injured list -- the Mets will hope he can give the lineup a boost when he returns. Entering Friday, the Mets’ .687 team OPS ranked 28th in the Majors.
“It’s a right-handed bat that we’ve missed pretty obviously against left-handed pitching,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said.
What else?
Robert’s seven years in the Majors so far have been injury-plagued. The only season in which he played in more than 110 games came in 2023 (145 games), when he hit 38 home runs and stole 20 bases for the White Sox in an All-Star campaign.
Hip, knee and hamstring issues have caused Robert to miss significant time in his career, and the key for him will be to stay on the field when he is activated off the injured list.