Mets' Star Slugger Shares Promising Update on Injury Timeline

The New York Mets need all the help they can get during their second-half playoff push, and this injured star slugger shared a positive update regarding his timeline.

Jun 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (6) during a game against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports | John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets injured right fielder Starling Marte could be back in the mix soon enough.

Although the 35-year-old's timeline initially looked murky after the bone bruise in his right knee was healing slower than expected, he received good news from the doctor on Friday, and shared this promising update with reporters on Saturday at LoanDepot Park.

"I think I'm close," Marte said.

Starling Marte, asked where he's at in his rehab process, says he received good news from doctors yesterday: "I think I'm close"

Marte also explained that he needs to get back into rhythm before he returns to action pic.twitter.com/yFom5CldxE

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2024

That being said, Marte does not want to rush back onto the field, which would risk worsening his knee issue that has been a problem since early-June. The Mets placed the righty slugger on the IL on June 23 after he couldn't tolerate the pain any longer.

Marte's bat has been valuable for the Mets in what has been a bounce-back season for him in 2024. The veteran outfielder was slashing .278/.328/.416 with a .744 OPS, seven home runs and 28 RBIs in 66 games. He's just 20 games away from matching his total from an injury plagued campaign last year.

As solid as his offensive game has been, Marte's defense has been a liability across the past two seasons, posting an abysmal -9 defensive runs saved this year, and -6 DRS in 2023. This could be in correlation with the double groin surgery he underwent after the 2022 season because he had always been a plus-defender in the corner outfield spots in his career while also possessing a strong arm.

The Mets could still seek a corner outfield bat ahead of the trade deadline, as it might be tough to count on Marte the rest of the way given his age and injury history across the past two years. But if he can make it back healthy and continue producing at the plate, it will be a major boost in New York's lineup.