TORONTO -- While Mets officials aren’t publicly placing a timeline on second baseman Marcus Semien’s return from injury, they are reportedly bracing to be without the veteran for more than a month.
“He’s got a little bit of time before he’s back on the field for us,” interim manager Andy Green said Monday.
Earlier in the day, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that Semien was diagnosed with a Grade 3 left hip flexor strain and will miss at least four to six weeks. Semien tried to play through the injury until it significantly affected his movement, according to that report.
How much the hip flexor played into Semien’s first-half struggles is unclear. The three-time All-Star, acquired in an offseason trade that sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers, was hitting .214 with a .612 OPS prior to landing on the injured list last Thursday -- far below his career marks of .252 and .750. In 21 games in June, Semien hit .179.
Semien, who's played parts of 14 seasons in the bigs, has generally been a durable lineup presence since becoming an everyday player in 2015. He led either his league or the Majors in games played four times in five seasons from 2019-2023 and has played in at least 155 games eight times. He's played in 80 of the Mets' 84 games this season.
In Semien’s absence, Green mentioned both Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio as options to man second base. Baty, who played there Monday against the Blue Jays, has started four of five games at the position since the Mets lost Semien. Mauricio started the other.
Semien, who will turn 36 in September, remains under contract for two more years and $46 million after this season.