Why Mets Can't Get Their Hopes Up With Jorge Polanco Back

David Stearns has had a bad rep with how the 2025 offseason was handled. The Mets made several interesting moves, including replacing Pete Alonso with Jorge Polanco, who had never played at first base in his major league career. Many were skeptical that the former Mariner was at risk of suffering an injury or regressing from a career-best 2025 season.

The critics were correct: Polanco suffered an injury during the second game of the season, an Achilles issue that lingered until April 14 — when the Mets placed him on the IL. It’s been a tough road to recovery for the 33-year-old, beginning rehab on May 27 in Double-A before being shut down on June 5 due to a setback.

However, Polanco would return later in June, starting a rehab assignment in Triple-A on June 27, and is now making his long-awaited return to a Mets squad that has zero hope, as he was reportedly reinstated from the 60-day IL on Tuesday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

That being said, the Mets shouldn’t get their hopes up with Polanco's return.

Mets must temper their expectations with Jorge Polanco

Through 11 rehab games, Polanco’s production was kept to a minimum, just like it was on the major league roster. The veteran had a .148 batting average, with four hits (three home runs), and tallied six RBIs. In the majors, Polanco played in 14 games, batting .179 with a home run and two RBIs, while holding a .532 OPS.

Jorge Polanco hit his second home run of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/MBA1PvQSkc
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) July 5, 2026

With his return to the active roster, the Mets expect Polanco to serve as their DH going forward, minimizing the pressure on his lingering Achilles injury while still allowing Jared Young and Mark Vientos to split time at first base.

"Feeling good, feeling grateful and excited to be back," Polanco said to SNY reporters when asked about his return to the Mets.

The biggest concern is why exactly the Mets are rushing to get Polanco back on the field. Currently, they sit at 38-53, 11 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, looking like sellers at the August 3 trade deadline. In 2025, the Mets saw a similar injury return in July, as Jesse Winker came back after two months on the shelf with an oblique injury. However, Winker suffered a back injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Jesse Winker, who only just returned to the Majors two days ago after recovering from an oblique strain, is being pinch-hit for in the fourth inning of today's game. He took one at-bat. No word yet on any sort of injury.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 10, 2025

Polanco is at risk of re-injuring the same ailment that has kept him out since mid-April; it has already happened throughout his rehab. While many believe his return is yet another potential trade chip at the deadline, that likely won’t be the case.

Polanco signed a hefty 2-year, $40 million deal that binds him to the team through 2027. Typically, a player earning $20 million a year wouldn’t be moved, with teams looking to add rental pieces rather than a long-term financial commitment midseason, especially someone who’s been injured all season and also playing at an inconsistent level.

For now, Polanco will stick around in Queens, even following the deadline, as the team's DH. The experiment at first base was obviously a failure, but the 33-year-old has proven in the past his ability to bring a balanced approach as a switch-hitter to a lineup.

In 2025, Polanco was a key piece for the Mariners, totaling 26 home runs with a .821 OPS. If the Mets could somehow get consistent at-bats from the veteran, Polanco could be a possible DH option for the 2027 season.

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