Starling Marte has provided invaluable depth to the New York Mets’ lineup when healthy. The issue is that he has been unavailable more often than not in recent years.
He was limited to just 86 games in 2023 after undergoing double-groin surgery before getting shelved for all but 94 games last year with knee issues. More trouble awaited for him this spring as a bone bruise in his right knee held him out for nearly the entire first month of camp.
But on Monday night, the 36-year-old was finally able to suit up for his first Grapefruit League game of the exhibition season, going 1-for-2 with a double and run scored against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“It feels good, thank God,” he said through translator Alan Suriel (h/t SNY). “The coaches and training staff have done a great job with me every single day, day in and day out, trying to get the knee a little bit better. I’m working with the coaches in the outfield. We’re taking it slow so it doesn’t get any worse, but so far so good with each passing day.”
It was Marte’s first game action of any kind since October, which provided some “weird” feelings leading up to first pitch.
“Once you go out there, once you feel the dirt, once you see the field, it feels good,” Marte said.
He is working his way back into a much different role than his previous three seasons with the Mets as their starting right-fielder. President of baseball operations David Stearns attempted to trade him throughout the offseason, to no avail, though the Kansas City Royals are reportedly lingering around as a potential suitor.
His old starting role in right field now belongs to Juan Soto after he signed his record-breaking contract, meaning he will serve in a platoon role at designated hitter alongside lefty bat Jesse Winker and as a backup outfielder.
