Mets Expect J.D. Martinez to Debut on Friday
Updated Post – April 24 at 14:00
Carlos Mendoza told reporters on Wednesday that, barring any issues, the Mets expect veteran slugger J.D. Martinez to be their designated hitter on Friday night at Citi Field. Martinez went 1-for-4 with an RBI single as the DH for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday night, and he’s in the lineup for them again on Wednesday.
Martinez signed a one-year deal with the Mets on March 23. He played only a few games for the Low-A St. Lucie Mets before he had a minor back issue. Martinez dealt with the same back issue last season with the Dodgers when he slugged 33 home runs and knocked in 103 runs over 113 games.
Left-handed hitting DJ Stewart has received the bulk of the starting time (14 games) at DH for the Mets this year. Starling Marte is second with four starts at DH.
Original Post – April 21 at 18:55
J.D. Martinez made his return to the St. Lucie Mets’ (Low-A) lineup on Sunday, and turned in a two-hit performance highlighted by the first double of his 2024 campaign. Martinez had not appeared in a game for any Mets affiliate since April 6.
Overall, Martinez went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for the Mets in their 8-4 victory over the Tampa Tarpons on Sunday afternoon. In his first at-bat, Martinez roped a single up the middle for the Mets’ first hit on the day. In his next at-bat, the veteran launched a 101 mph double towards the left field line, turning around a low-and-in sinker.
His third at-bat would result in a three-pitch strikeout, with the last pitch being a swing-and-a-miss at a slider in the dirt. Martinez was lifted after his third plate appearance for pinch hitter Estarling Mercado.
J.D. Martinez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
The Mets’ newest slugger was sidelined for two weeks, but is expected to ramp up fairly quickly. His stint in St. Lucie, which has extended far beyond what the Mets had initially expected, is expected to come to an end by Tuesday.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters before the Mets’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday that Martinez is expected to appear in the Syracuse Mets (Triple-A) lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday. Beyond those two days, Mendoza said that it is a possibility that Martinez could meet the Mets in Queens on Friday the 26, the first day of the Mets’ final homestand in April. New York is home from April 26 through May 2, making it increasingly likely that Martinez will debut during that stretch.
Syracuse is in the middle of a homestand that runs up on Sunday the 28, making transportation from Syracuse to New York a much easier task than from Syracuse or St. Lucie out to San Francisco, where the Mets will be from Monday the 22 through Wednesday the 24.
Martinez signed with the Mets in March after an extended free agency that lasted into the final stages of spring training. Now, 36 years old, he is coming off a season with 33 home runs, 103 RBIs, and an .893 OPS.
He figures to be the Mets’ regular designated hitter upon arriving in Queens, giving protection to Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. Martinez will also supplement the power that the Mets recently lost with the news of Francisco Alvarez‘s thumb injury.
The post Mets Expect J.D. Martinez to Debut on Friday appeared first on Metsmerized Online.