New York Mets veteran right fielder Starling Marte underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury suffered during the second half of the 2022 season, the team announced.
The expected timetable for a full recovery is eight weeks, meaning he’ll be fully ready to go for spring training ahead of the 2023 season without issue.
It turns out Marte was battling through a litany of injuries down the stretch of his first season in Queens with the Mets — a further testament to just how gutsy his ability just to play in the team’s Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres was.
Not only was he dealing with the core injury which has an unknown origin during the second half, but he was also dealing with a groin injury before suffering a broken finger on Sept. 6 against the Pittsburgh Pirates that sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season.
His absence was a noticeable one as the Mets’ offense struggled down the stretch without him contributing toward the top of the lineup behind lead-off Brandon Nimmo. In 118 games, the 34-year-old batted .292 with an .814 OPS, 16 home runs, and 63 RBI in 118 games.
The Mets would ultimately cough up their NL East division lead to the Atlanta Braves during the penultimate series of the regular season.
Toughing it out for the postseasno, Marte recorded two hits and two walks in three games during the Mets’ Wild Card Series loss to the San Diego Padres.
“This is a significant situation,” Marte said at the time. “You just have to fight through it.”
