J.D. Martinez May Rejoin Mets on Friday
The Mets might be penciling their new DH into the lineup later this week.
Help is on the way for an already hot New York Mets squad.
According to beat reporter Pat Ragazzo, team manager Carlos Mendoza said that newly-acquired designated hitter J.D. Martinez could rejoin the Mets on Friday and make his debut shortly after. Currently, Martinez is in the lineup for the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, and will join the Triple-A Syracuse Mets on either Tuesday or Wednesday to continue his ramp-up.
In Sunday's game against the Tampa Tarpons, Martinez has a pair of hits in two at-bats, including an RBI double.
This was Martinez's first game since April 6; he was subsequently shut down for 3-5 days after receiving a cortisone shot to deal with lower back tightness. Since resuming hitting, no other issues have come up.
Because Martinez signed with the Mets so late in the offseason (just five days before Opening Day), he has been undergoing an abbreviated and rapidly accelerated spring training to ramp himself up for major league action. Last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he slashed .271/.321/.572 with a .893 OPS, 33 home runs, 103 RBIs and a 135 wRC+ in 113 games and made the NL All-Star team.
Even without Martinez in the early going, the Mets have found their footing as of late, especially offensively. Currently on a six-game winning streak and a run of 12 wins in 15 games, New York's lineup has scored 64 runs in their past nine games. Key contributors such as Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, and Brandon Nimmo have been producing in bunches over this span.
With the eventual addition of Martinez, the Mets' batting order will become even more potent.
