One of the Mets’ first choices to call up from Triple-A has disappeared after third baseman Brett Baty suffered a fractured left index finger after getting hit by a pitch on Thursday.
The Mets have prescribed a four-to-six-week timeframe for a return, which takes him out of contention for returning to the majors. He batted .229 with four home runs in 50 games in the majors before getting demoted to Triple-A in June. Since then, he slashed .261/.358/.528 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 58 games.
With Baty out of the equation, the Mets will be searching for infield depth with extra marks for versatility.
President of baseball operations David Stearns has done well over his first year in charge to provide the necessary depth to ensure the Mets have other infield options outside of Baty.
Mike Brosseau signed with the Mets back in April after failing to catch on with the Kansas City Royals during the spring. The 30-year-old has 241 games of MLB experience with the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, slashing .242/.313/.428 (.741 OPS) with 26 home runs and 77 RBI.
In Triple-A this season (81 games), he was batting .285 with an .849 OPS, 14 home runs, and 36 RBI. He is capable of playing first, second, or third base.
Pablo Reyes, 30, can also play second, third, and the outfield. He was purchased by the Mets on May 25 and has been one of Syracuse’s most productive bats since. In 56 games, he’s batting .289 with an .843 OPS, nine home runs, 34 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.
Luke Ritter, a 27-year-old right-handed slugger, has also built a solid case for MLB consideration — the closest he has ever been to the show after spending the last five years in the Mets’ system. The first baseman who has also spent time at second and third base leads Syracuse with 24 home runs and 82 RBI in 112 games this season. However, there is a concerning 36% strikeout rate that the organization will obviously take into account.
If the Mets are looking for more speed, Luisangel Acuna should enter the mix, though a slow start to life in Triple-A makes him a long shot — at least from outside the organization. The 22-year-old has a .658 OPS in 478 at-bats, though he does have 32 stolen bases in 115 games.
