Mets' Infielder Dealing With Achilles Issue in Injury Concern

The New York Mets got through spring training relatively healthy, but that good fortune on the injury front appears to be over. Infielder Jorge Polanco is out of the lineup on Friday night as he continues to battle through a case of Achilles tendonitis.

Carlos Mendoza says that Jorge Polanco is feeling "better today" as he deals with Achilles tendonitis pic.twitter.com/d2ZP6YhmZH
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2026

Polanco, who first reported the issue at the beginning of the week, has been serving as the designated hitter over the past few games to manage the situation. Manager Carlos Mendoza offered a positive update for Polanco, who he reported is "feeling better" than he did earlier in the week.

Jorge Polanco has a little bit of an Achilles issue, per Carlos Mendoza. He's still good to DH, but the Mets are being cautious with him.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 30, 2026

The tendonitis diagnosis is new for Polanco, but his history of injury issues is not. Last season's 138 games marked a recent high for Polanco, who had not appeared in more than 118 games at any point between 2022 and 2024.

The Mets have been cognizant of Polanco's injury history, easing him into action in spring training to try and mitigate the risk of new problems arising. While there are plenty of New York sports fans who expect the worst from an Achilles injury after witnessing Aaron Rodgers' Jets tenure get ruined by one in four snaps, it seems like Polanco's issue isn't going to be a long-term issue.

The bigger concern at the moment is how the Achilles issue is impacting Polanco at the plate. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported on Friday that Polanco has just three hits in 18 at-bats since he first reported the Achilles soreness earlier this week.

Jorge Polanco continues to manage what Carlos Mendoza called Achilles tendinitis, which explains his absence from tonight's lineup. Since he first reported the issue, Polanco is 3-for-18 (.167).
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 4, 2026

Jorge Polanco's Injury Creates An Opportunity For Mark Vientos

The biggest beneficiary of Polanco's absence from the lineup may very well be Mark Vientos, who looked like the last man on the roster after barely playing in the Mets' first five games. Vientos drew a start at first base on Thursday with Polanco serving as the DH, delivering a homer and making a nice defensive play.

MARK VIENTOS MOONSHOT HOME RUN!!! 💣 pic.twitter.com/Nk0D2LTqup
— Mets'd Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) April 3, 2026

That effort helped Vientos draw back in for tonight's game, where he will serve as the designated hitter with Brett Baty playing first base. Playing time could be important for the notoriously streaky Vientos, who is ill-suited to a role that will see him get limited at-bats when the Mets don't face a lot of left-handed pitching.

Polanco will likely go back to DH duty for a bit once he is ready to return to the lineup to manage the soreness in his Achilles. That could, in turn, give Vientos more looks at first base to see if he can get hot and add some pop to a lineup that is a bit lacking in that department.

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