Mets Bench Juan Soto Against Pirates
Carlos Mendoza, the Mets’ manager, had a tough time convincing his star right fielder, Juan Soto, about the need for a day off. Ultimately, Mendoza made the decision to bench Soto in their 4-0 loss to the Pirates at Citi Field, marking Soto’s first absence from the starting lineup this season.
Mendoza shared that it took some dialogue with Soto after Tuesday’s game before he finally told him, “You’re going down.” His idea was for Soto to take full advantage of the upcoming break on Thursday, combined with his day off on Wednesday.
The Mets are gearing up for a subway series against the Yankees this Friday.
Interestingly, instead of just resting, Soto opted to work out in the weight room on Wednesday, as Mendoza noted. “He got a pretty solid workout in,” the manager remarked, perhaps indicating that Soto was still focused on maintaining his fitness.
In Soto’s place, José Azocar started in right field, while Starling Marte served as the designated hitter.
Ronny Mauricio’s Rehabilitation Progress
As for Ronnie Mauricio, he will remain in the minor leagues following his rehabilitation assignment, unless the Mets need him for the Major League roster. Mauricio, who was recently promoted to Double-A Binghamton, is recovering from surgery on a torn ACL and has undergone additional procedures to remove scar tissue from his knee.
David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, mentioned that Mauricio still has some distance to cover before he’s back to full strength. “It’s important he continues to hit in the minors before he is ready to compete at a higher level,” he said.
Updates on Paul Blackburn
Paul Blackburn is scheduled for a rehabilitation start at Binghamton, where he will aim for around 75 pitches. He is expected to make at least one more appearance in the minor leagues before the Mets consider bringing him back from the injured list.
Stearns stated that Blackburn would ideally be built up as a starter, but he could also be used in the bullpen depending on the team’s needs at the time.
Louis Sangeracúnya’s Debut
Starting at first base, Louis Sangeracúnya had a challenging outing, finishing 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. He also spent the final two innings in center field during his first major league appearance, but didn’t have any opportunities to make a play.
