Why Ronny Mauricio is the Most Interesting Player In Mets Camp

Francisco Lindor's hand surgery has opened the door for Ronny Mauricio to claim a spot on the Mets' Opening Day roster.

Jul 30, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio (10) makes the throw to first base for an out during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

The New York Mets got a bit of bad news this week when Francisco Lindor needed to undergo surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand. The injury shouldn't cost Lindor too much time in the regular season, but he is likely to be sidelined for the vast majority of spring training.

Dennis A. Cardone, DO from @nyulangone joins us to explain the hamate bone injury that Francisco Lindor is getting surgery on https://t.co/PTPeryn6xc #sponsored pic.twitter.com/8PqDhaVAPS

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) February 11, 2026

The injury has created a hole at shortstop for the Mets in camp, and the team is not interested in having Bo Bichette fill it right now. Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Bichette's main priority is to learn third base, a new position for him, since that is where they envision him playing for most of the season.

Carlos Mendoza says that Bo Bichette getting shortstop reps is off the table for right now:

"Right now, we have to make sure we get him comfortable at third base and that's where he's going to be getting his work defensively." pic.twitter.com/Ldmuf5U7DO

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 11, 2026

The internal options that the Mets will use at shortstop during Lindor's absence include newly-acquired Vidal Brujan, Jackson Cluff and Ronny Mauricio. The most interesting name in that group is Mauricio, who has been a seemingly forgotten man this winter as the Mets have upgraded their infield with the additions of Bichette, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco.

Ronny Mauricio 😎 pic.twitter.com/SA2dzQgUvm

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 11, 2026

Mauricio's natural position is shortstop, but with Lindor entrenched there for the next five years the Mets had Mauricio play third base during winter ball. The logical assumption has been that Mauricio will begin the year playing everyday at Triple-A Syracuse with Bichette taking over at third and Brett Baty in line to fill Jeff McNeil's super-utility role, but Lindor's injury could create an opportunity for Mauricio to win a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Read More: Mets’ Carlos Mendoza Gets First Look at Bo Bichette’s Third Base Transition

Why Ronny Mauricio Could Make The Mets' Opening Day Roster

The Mets worked hard to preserve Mauricio's minor league option at the end of last season, essentially mothballing him down the stretch until a late-season injury to Baty forced them to go to Mauricio at third base. Mauricio had lost the trust of the team due to his struggles hitting right-handed, but his defense has been strong on the left side of the infield and that could make him an asset early in the season.

It is unclear if Lindor would be ready for Opening Day at this time and the Mets are correctly prioritizing Bichette's transition to third base since the long end of Lindor's timeline could see him miss about two weeks of regular season action. Baty is not a natural shortstop and moving Semien there at age 35 would appear to be risky, so Mauricio would have a leg up over the likes of Brujan and Cluff if the Mets need someone to play there every day.

The Mets also don't have a backup shortstop on the roster as currently constructed, with most people assuming Bichette would fill in at short if Lindor needs a day off. A strong spring training could allow Mauricio to make the team ahead of someone like MJ Melendez, who has a split contract that can see him start at Triple-A Syracuse, and function as a backup shortstop and DH option early in the season.

Keeping Mauricio around as a backup could make sense since it is unclear if Lindor will be able to go full time upon his return or need an occasional off day sprinkled in there. The fact that Baty is already in the outfield mix could mitigate the need for the Mets to carry five traditional outfielders, allowing them to use Baty as their fifth outfielder while keeping Mauricio to provide cover at multiple infield positions.

A lot of this depends on how Mauricio performs in spring training, which will offer a key data point in the team's evaluation of its ideal roster construction. Mauricio is a higher upside option than Brujan, and if he hits well in camp, it could alter the Mets' thinking about his role with the team in 2026.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.