CHICAGO — The Mets were cautious about giving Starling Marte rest to protect his leg.
But the veteran outfielder was given an unscheduled rest on Saturday, exiting the Mets-Cubs game before the bottom of the second inning at Wrigley Field.
According to the Mets, Marte left the game due to soreness in his right knee.
With Marte out, DJ Stewart moved to right field (he played as a left fielder that day) and Tyrone Taylor played as the defensive replacement in left field.
As recently as Monday, the 35-year-old Marte was playing on the grass at Globe Life Field in Texas, sitting on the bench to conserve his leg.
On this day, with the Mets already trailing by five runs, Marte came to bat in the second inning and was out on a grounder.
He left the game when the Mets came up defensively in the bottom of the inning.
Marte has played in 66 games this season and has remained relatively healthy.
He started the day with a .279 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, .418 slugging percentage, seven home runs, 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
