Starling Marte to Begin Rehab Wednesday

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced Starling Marte will begin his rehab assignment with the Low-A St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday. The 35-year-old has been dealing with a bone bruise in his knee that has kept him sidelined since the latter part of June.

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Before Marte was placed on the injured list his knee was noticeably banged up, losing a step or two when tracking down balls in the outfield. However, he continued to be a key component to the offensive surge to bring the Mets season back to life. Over 13 games in June, Marte slashed .304/.360/.457/.817 with three extra-base hits, a home run, and seven RBIs.

With the addition of Jesse Winker and his production against right-handed pitching, Marte’s .917 OPS against left-handed pitching compliments the line-up even more.

Looking ahead to potential roster moves upon Marte’s return it can be speculated that Ben Gamel would be the odd man up. Gamel only saw 14 at-bats in July posting a .214 average over that span. At the same time, Marte said his knee “could have given out at any moment,” while he was playing, causing what will be at least a two-month absence. In addition to Gamel—and with rosters expanding in September—the Mets have players like DJ Stewart, Luke Ritter, and Jackie Bradley Jr. further down the roster as a backups.

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