New York Mets to Place Luis Robert Jr. on IL

The hits just keep coming for the New York Mets, who will now be without yet another essential piece of their lineup for an extended period.

Luis Robert Jr. is now the latest Met to land on the injured list, joining veteran infielders Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco, as first reported by Chelsea Janes of SNY. The outfielder is officially dealing with a lumbar spine disc herniation, which first popped up earlier this week and held him out of back-to-back contests on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Mets have also designated Carl Edwards Jr. (1.50 ERA in two games) for assignment, recalling RHP Austin Warren and infielder Eric Wagaman in a corresponding move.

Per the Mets:

Luis Robert, Jr. has been placed on the IL, with lumbar spine disc herniation

Carl Edwards, Jr. has been DFA’d

Austin Warren and Eric Wagaman have been recalled from Triple-A
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 30, 2026

Robert Jr.'s ailment was originally labeled back tightness, and his absence on Tuesday appeared more precautionary than anything else. But he did not respond well to treatment and his condition "didn't improve much" overnight according to Carlos Mendoza, which caused the Mets to send him in for an MRI.

It was known that the injured list was in play for Robert Jr., but Thursday's report confirms that the results of the MRI were not what the club was hoping for. Coming on the heels of a 14-2 loss that dropped the Mets into sole possession of the worst record in baseball, the loss of another key cog is a brutal blow.

Carlos Mendoza says Luis Robert Jr. "didn't improve much" after treatment on his back and will be going for an MRI pic.twitter.com/n5gyZQWcuf
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 29, 2026

According to Mendoza, Robert will be down for about 7-10 days after receiving an injection on Thursday. The Mets are hoping it will be a short stay on the IL for Robert.

Through 30 games, New York's starting lineup has featured Lindor, Polanco, Robert Jr. and Juan Soto together just five times. Early on, it was clear that the club wanted to give Robert Jr. and Polanco additional rest given their injury history. This was a point through spring training and remained true through the first few weeks of the regular season.

Following Soto's injury at the start of April, the Mets became more reliant on production from these players. Through this tough stretch, it was obvious that Polanco was not fully healthy as he battled
Achilles tendinitis. He regularly missed time and looked hobbled when he was out there before eventually hitting the IL with right wrist soreness.

Just when things were looking up with Soto's return, it was Lindor who suffered a calf strain during the very same game he came back. Now with Robert Jr. added to the list of ailing vets, the Mets are without their Opening Day 1, 4, and 5 hitters.

After a nice start to the season, Robert Jr.'s bat has cooled off with the rest of the lineup. The 28-year-old is slashing .224/.327/.329 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 24 games this season. These numbers mirror the last two seasons for Robert Jr., which have been marred by injuries and are largely disappointing compared to his All-Star campaign in 2023 when he clubbed 38 home runs.

LUIS ROBERT JR. WALK-OFF HOME RUN 🍎 pic.twitter.com/3kYwV3BTav
— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2026

In 2024 and 2025 in Chicago, Robert Jr. played in just 100 and 110 games, dealing with both hip and hamstring injuries. These nagging issues have unfortunately been the story of his career as of late and were certainly a major consideration when the Mets acquired him in the offseason.

Under normal circumstances, it could be a positive thing that Robert Jr.'s IL stint came in April, as it would give him some time to heal up and be fully healthy before the games begin to get important later in the season. But for the Mets, who now sit at 10-20 without several key players, each game is important and losing a strong bat and glove in Robert Jr. will be tough to overcome.

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