Mark Vientos not ready to rejoin Mets, will play at least two more games in minors
Mets' Mark Vientos at bat in the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field on May 27, 2025. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Mark Vientos, who has been on a minor-league rehab assignment as he works his way back from a June 2 right hamstring strain, was eligible to come off the injured list on Monday. However, the Mets don’t think he’s ready.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said that the third baseman/designated hitter would play in at least two more minor-league games. He will play nine innings at third base on Tuesday night for Triple-A Syracuse and then be its DH the following afternoon.
“Then we’ll see where we are, but he’s feeling better,” Mendoza said. “It’s just more like getting the volume up now.”
Vientos was 2-for-17 in his first four minor-league games and hadn’t been the run producer he’d been last season before the injury with a .230/.298/.380 slash line and six home runs.
Mendoza added that while the Mets are listening to his feedback, this isn’t the same situation as a long-time big-leaguer assessing his readiness.
“Whether you’re a veteran or a guy like Mark who’s continuing to look for ways to establish at this level, we ask him,” he said. “But if we feel, ‘Hey man, maybe a couple extra games here to get you’re timing,’ [that’s what we do].”
Whereas it seemed like Vientos might be a player for the club in this four-game series with Atlanta, it now appears he is more likely to rejoin the team on Friday when they face the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Senga update
Righthander Kodai Senga might be ahead of schedule in his recovery from the strained right hamstring he suffered covering first base in a June 12 game. Before the Mets faced Atlanta on Monday night, Senga played catch from the bullpen mound. He said he planned to throw with “decent intensity” and he clearly did that.
Senga was the Mets' most effective pitcher before the injury with a 7-3 record and a 1.47 ERA.
“The good thing is he kept throwing even right after the injury so he was able to keep the arm going,” Mendoza said. “The fact he's already getting on the mound and letting the ball go with some type of intensity, that's a really good sign.”
Asked if he expected he would need a minor-league rehab assignment before he can return, Senga replied through an interpreter, “If everything checks out well and things continue to progress, I think it's on the horizon.”
Extra bases
The Mets optioned infielder Luisangel Acuna, as well as righthander Tyler Zuber, to Syracuse. The organization wants Acuna to be more productive on offense and Mendoza said they “feel like right now we got to a point where we need to get him going — we need to get him some everyday at-bats.” Acuna has mostly been used as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement . . . The Mets signed lefthanded reliever Richard Lovelady to a major league contract and added him to the active roster. It gives the team two lefthanders out of the bullpen . . . The Mets moved Travis Jankowski to the active roster and transferred Jose Siri to the 60-day IL.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
