QUEENS — The New York Mets announced on Thursday that they have placed veteran right fielder Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 17, due to migraines.
The 34-year-old met with specialists on Wednesday to assess the suddenly-reoccurring issues that plagued him over the last week. Marte was scratched from Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of migraines and was done so again on Tuesday night just 30 minutes before first pitch against the Chicago White Sox.
Following Wednesday night’s 5-1 win against the White Sox, Mets manager Buck Showalter said that he had received “nothing but good news,” after Marte’s meetings. He even went as far as to say on Thursday morning that he would “expect to hear that he’s available today.”
In his absence, Mark Canha will continue to get an extended role in right field while second baseman Jeff McNeil could see sporadic starts at the position, too.
Marte was batting .254 with five home runs, 28 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 84 games this season — his struggles at the plate prompted Showalter to drop him from his usual No. 2 spot in the lineup that he earned an All-Star nod at last season in New York.
Tommy Pham has recently run away with those No. 2 responsibilities with an .838 OPS this season that ranked second on the team entering Thursday’s series finale against the White Sox.
But injuries have played a significant part in Marte’s regression. He underwent groin surgery in the offseason and then dealt with a lingering neck issue in April.
“There’s a lot of things physically,” Showalter said. “Especially when you steal bases the way he does in the way he does. So you just want to make sure that he’s OK. Sometimes these things could be triggered by something else.”
