In addition to Max Scherzer being placed back on the injured list, the New York Mets are now dealing with a less than 100% Starling Marte, who recently fractured his finger.
While all of this is happening, the Mets have watched their lead in the National League East division shrink to just a half-game over the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves, with Atlanta even being tied with them at the start of play yesterday.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com revealed that the Mets have a plan for Marte, but that it might not be the best one.
The Mets are going to try and have Marte play through his injury, similarly to how Francisco Lindor did earlier this year, but that an IL stint is still possible.
DiComo says that the Mets will gauge how Marte is feeling on Friday when they open up a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.
Sounds like the Mets will have Starling Marte try to play through his fractured finger, just as Francisco Lindor successfully did earlier this season, but that plan could change if Marte reports to the ballpark on Friday and is still in pain. An IL stint is still possible.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 8, 2022
Mets Face Another Setback
It might be risky for the Mets to try and push Marte through this injury.
A fractured finger may not seem like much, but it can certainly affect several aspects of a player’s game.
Obviously, the Mets want to try and keep him in the lineup, which might have been at the behest of Marte himself, especially at this point in the season.
But it might be best to just put him on the IL and see if he recovers in time for the postseason.
Finger injuries are harder to play through than they sound.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see what the story is on Friday.
If Marte is still in pain, it’s very possible that the Mets could place him on the injured list.
NEXT: Jacob deGrom Sets Another Historical Mark With Ease