What Mike Tauchman's Injury Means For Mets

Outfielder Mike Tauchman exited the Mets' spring game on Saturday with left knee soreness. Find out what it means for the team.

Feb 24, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Mike Tauchman (50) returns to the dugout against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Talk about poor timing.

With Opening Day just five days away, outfielder Mike Tauchman exited the New York Mets' Grapefruit League game on Saturday due to injury.

The Mets are calling it left knee soreness for now, per manager Carlos Mendoza. But Tauchman was seen hobbling in between innings.

Mike Tauchman is experiencing some discomfort as he plays right field today pic.twitter.com/UvMCMHaLJa

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 21, 2026

Mike Tauchman attempted to run out to right field to assume his position but came up limping

He has exited the game pic.twitter.com/gAZrdqFjvQ

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 21, 2026

Tauchman will undergo an MRI on his knee.

Tauchman was pushing for a roster spot in the outfield and/or on the bench. He was also battling top prospect Carson Benge for the starting right field job.

Although Benge has outperformed Tauchman in camp, Tauchman still had a solid spring training. The 35-year-old slashed .241/.371/.448 with a .819 OPS, one home run and six RBI in 13 games.

The Mets signed Tauchman to a minor league deal back in February. He has an opt-out in his contract on March 25.

What it Means

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (93) makes a diving catch to retire St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nelson Velázquez (not pictured) during the second inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

With Tauchman's injury, you can all but lock in Benge as the starting right fielder come Opening Day.

Benge has slashed .368/.442/.447 with a .889 OPS and five RBI in 13 Grapefruit League games. The 23-year-old also homered in an exhibition game against Team Israel.

Even without the injury to Tauchman, Benge earned the right field job in camp. This will likely be the case as of March 26.

Beyond Benge, the Mets could now choose to carry a true backup shortstop in Vidal Brujan on the roster. Brujan has hit .273/.400/.273 with a .673 OPS in 14 games this spring.

If they decide against giving a spot to Brujan, newcomers MJ Melendez and Cristian Pache could emerge as backup outfielder and bench piece options.

The Mets could also scour the market and waiver wire for another outfielder or bench player before Opening Day. Veteran Austin Slater is a name that would fit after he was released by the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.

Slater, 33, hit .267 with a .856 OPS in 15 games this spring. The Chicago White Sox traded Slater to the cross-town rival New York Yankees at the trade deadline last summer. The Yankees had interest in bringing him back, but the Tigers signed him to a minor league deal instead.

Slater is now available and would make sense as an option for the Mets if Tauchman is forced to miss significant time. There are many roster implications as a result of the injury to Tauchman, including Benge, Brujan, Melendez and more.

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