New York Mets' Superstar Slugger to Resume Hitting on Monday

The New York Mets won another series on Sunday and received good news on their prized superstar slugger.

The New York Mets just keep winning series all of a sudden, and they also received a positive injury update on their superstar slugger.

According to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, DH J.D. Martinez is set to resume hitting in the cage on Monday. Martinez received a cortisone shot in his back earlier in the week to aid some lower tightness he was dealing with and was shut down from swinging for a number of days.

Luckily, Martinez will begin hitting again on Monday and will proceed to do some light hitting in the cage for the next several days.

Mendoza said Martinez is "moving in the right direction," and he'll spend the next two-to-three days doing some "light" swinging in the batting cage.

Martinez had a big year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, where he slashed .271/.321/.572 with a .893 OPS, 33 home runs, 103 RBIs and a 135 wRC+ in 113 games. But in his final few seasons with the Boston Red Sox, he dealt with similar back issues, which is why the Mets decided not to acquire him at the 2022 trade deadline when there was an offer on the table centered around top prospect center fielder Alex Ramirez and first baseman Dom Smith.

The Mets signed Martinez to a one-year, $12 million deal on the eve of Opening Day. Because the 36-year-old missed all of Spring Training as a free agent, he was forced to ramp up in the minor leagues.

Fortunately, the Mets have overcome their rough start to the regular season, winning seven of their last 10 games. And it appears that Martinez's return is on the horizon.

The Mets should only get stronger once they have Martinez and ace right-handed pitcher Kodai Senga back with the big-league club.