Mets manager details tough Brett Baty conversation amid minors demotion

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza got honest about telling Brett Baty he was being sent down to the minors.

May 25, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (22) goes back on the field after striking out to the end the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Before the New York Mets' April 25 game against the Washington Nationals, news broke that Brett Baty was getting sent down to Triple-A Syracuse in the wake of Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez getting activated from injury.

While Baty knows the feeling of going back and forth between the Mets and the minors, this one has got to feel different, given how great he has been performing of late. While he got off to a brutal start to the season offensively, he has hit .304 with a .993 OPS and four extra-base hits in his past eight games.

BREAKING: Brett Baty has been sent down. pic.twitter.com/M1vfPc8drF

— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) April 25, 2025

This was surely a tough pill for Baty to swallow. And when speaking with the media ahead of Friday's game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza discussed the conversation he had with his 25-year-old player about getting sent down.

Read more: Insider sets record straight on Francisco Alvarez's role upon Mets return

"Not an easy one," Mendoza said when asked whether it was a difficult conversation with Baty, per an X post from SNY. "Baty, we're looking at his last seven to 10 days, but that's part of the business. It's a different feeling for him now going back to Triple-A, knowing that, 'I can play at this level', as opposed to struggles. And then, hey, we're sending [him down] because there's not going to be enough playing time.

"I know it's tough, but he'll be back," Mendoza continued.

Carlos Mendoza said it was "not an easy" talk with Brett Baty

"It's a different feeling for him now going back to Triple-A, knowing [he] can play at this level as opposed to struggles. We're sending [him] because there's not going to be enough playing time. He'll be back" pic.twitter.com/pAbllXHIfU

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 25, 2025

While this is undoubtedly a good problem for Mendoza and the Mets to have, it's still hard to see Baty not get to continue proving that he has turned a corner in terms of MLB success.