SAN DIEGO — Jorge Polanco will spend at least this weekend building “volume” at Triple-A Syracuse rather than rejoining the Mets.
The veteran infielder remained on his minor league rehab assignment Friday after there had been discussion by team officials last week that Polanco might play for the Mets on this road trip.
Manager Carlos Mendoza cited the fact Polanco had only played five innings on defense in his previous game.
“We have got to get him to a point where he’s going four at-bats as a DH or seven innings on defense, so you won’t see him here in San Diego,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the Mets earned a 5-0 shutout of the Padres.
Polanco began the day only 2-for-10 (.200) on his minor league rehab assignment, between Double-A Binghamton and Syracuse.
But Mendoza said Polanco’s numbers didn’t factor into the decision to keep him at Syracuse.
“I think it’s just more the way he is taking his swing, the way he is rotating,” Mendoza said, noting that he had been watching the video stream of Polanco’s at-bats. “He looks healthier when you look at the way he’s rotating and staying on that back leg, which is something that we didn’t see before he went on the IL. Right now, he looks in a better place when he’s taking his swings.”
Polanco has been sidelined since April 15, dealing with a bone bruise in his wrist, and left Achilles bursitis. The latter injury has extended his stay on the IL.
Francisco Alvarez will catch back-to-back games beginning Saturday and then potentially rejoin the Mets on the next homestand.
Alvarez is rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Tyrone Taylor ran for the first time following his placement on the injured list with a right hip flexor strain.
Carson Benge began the day on a surge in which he had posted a .975 OPS over his previous nine games.
The rookie outfielder had three homers and seven RBIs during that stretch, though he went 0-for-4 Friday.
Since the start of May, he had a .300/.368/.458 slash line with four homers, 18 RBIs and four stolen bases.
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The Mets entered play with a bullpen ERA of 3.23 that ranked third in the National League and fifth in MLB.
Mets relievers had 278 strikeouts, first in the major leagues.
They added 3 ¹/₃ more shutout innings Friday as well as two more strikeouts.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
