The Mets’ offseason signing Bo Bichette left third place Brett Batyand now he’s set to play a major role in Queens, reports MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Baty sees work in the outfield again early this spring. His experience at the hot corner and second base makes him a viable option at both positions, too, if Bichette or Marcus Semien they need a breather or a trip to the injured list at any time.
“It’s an important role,” manager Carlos Mendoza told DiComo. “We were honest with him. He is there. They will be hitting him in many different positions. He can play third, second and first, now the outfield is playing.”
While Baty may not have a designated spot, his 2025 exit should put him in a good position to be on the roster more often than not. The former first-round pick and top prospect shook off a rough start last season and finished the year with a solid .254/.313/.435 batting line (111 wRC+) and 18 home runs. From mid-May through the end of the season – a span of 370 plate appearances – Baty posted a .266/.327/.454 batting line with 17 of his 18 long balls.
Elsewhere in Mets camp, the team is still holding out hope for a star shortstop Francisco Lindorwho broke his left hamate early in camp, won’t miss much time — if at all. Lindor took batting practice yesterday for the first time since his injury, and he felt healthy after the fact that he told Jon Heyman of the New York Post that he’s confident about his chances of making the Opening Day roster.
“One hundred percent, I think I can make it on opening day,” Lindor said. “…We check the boxes along the way.”
Lindor’s injury first became apparent on February 10. A day later, the Mets confirmed that he would undergo surgery to correct the problem. The team originally predicted a six-week recovery, and Lindor’s surgery took place 43 days before Opening Day. In addition to batting practice, Lindor also started playing catch this week and hasn’t shown any side effects.
Recovery time from a hamate fracture usually ranges from four weeks on the short end to eight weeks on the long end. Based on the way things are going, there seems to be reason for caution among Mets fans that the All-Star and 2024 National League MVP runner-up will be on the roster when the new ace. Freddy Peralta and the Mets host the Pirates and the Opening Day starter Paul Skenes on March 26.
The Mets pitching staff is also reeling with some injuries. The former’s high hopes Christian Scottnow 17 months removed from 2024 Tommy John surgery that ended his 2025 season, he hit 96 mph and threw 48 pitches over 2 2/3 frames in Israel’s WBC team exhibition this week. Mendoza told Dan Martin of the Post that the outing “was good, especially the righty’s command to get back on the mound without a walk.
Scott, now 26 years old, made his major league debut in 2024 and posted a 4.56 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate in his first taste of major league games. He previously threw 42 1/3 innings with a 2.76 ERA, a 33.5% strikeout rate and a 7.3% walk rate at the Triple-A level. There is no opening in the Mets’ rotation for Peralta, Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga again Sean Manaea it’s all in the fold, but Scott will be a great deep arm and one of the first names called if the Mets experience health problems in their big league staff.
It frees us on the left AJ Minterwhose 2025 season ended in May due to lat surgery, played in a minor league game in the backfield this week, Martin added. This is Minter’s first return to game form since undergoing surgery last year. Previous indications were that Minter could return sometime in May, but Mendoza indicated to Martin that late April is on the table for him to return.
Minter signed a two-year, $22MM deal with the Mets last winter and had a great start for them. In 11 innings, he held opponents to two runs (1.64 ERA) on six hits and five walks with 14 strikeouts. The 32-year-old southpaw has had his share of injury issues over the years, but from 2020-25 he posted a sharp 2.80 earned run average with a 30% strikeout rate and an 8% walk rate in 254 innings between the Braves and Mets.
On another Mets-related note, Tim Britton of The Athletic offers an update on the undrafted invitee. Robert Stock. The righty was recently with Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic but he hurt his shoulder. He is out of WBC and is going to get an MRI.
