LOS ANGELES — The Mets received good news in New York on Wednesday afternoon. Test results for Mark Vientos showed only a low-grade strain in his right hamstring, which requires a much shorter timeline than originally anticipated.
The third baseman will be sidelined at least two weeks while the pain and tightness subside. After he’s symptom-free, the Mets will start him on a running progression and he’ll resume baseball activities. If all goes well, he could return in late June or early July.
It was a relief for the Mets and manager Carlos Mendoza.
“You never know,” Mendoza said. “He goes down the way he did, we’re kind of expecting the worst… You hate to see him go down at any time, but the fact that they’re telling us it’s low-grade, it’s good news.”
Vientos was injured running out of the box on a ground ball Monday night at Dodger Stadium, collapsing almost immediately and walking off with a noticeable limp. The team sent him back to New York to be examined by their doctors and undergo imaging.
Ronny Mauricio was called up to take his spot on the roster.
The Mets have been taking rehabs slowly this season, using the entirety of the allotted time on rehab assignments, which is 20 days for position players and 30 for pitchers.
“It could be as early as 10 days, and then he will start doing baseball activities again,” Mendoza said. “In 10-14 we’ll revisit, and then we’ll ramp it back up.”
Now, the challenge becomes how to manage at-bats for all of the infielders the Mets are currently carrying. Mauricio said he’s comfortable playing second, third and shortstop. For now, the Mets will give him more reps at third than in the middle infield to give him continuity and help him develop at the hot corner.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor doesn’t like taking days off, which leaves Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña to battle for at-bats at second base. However, McNeil will get regular at-bats in the outfield and Acuña might see time in center as well with Jose Siri still injured.
Wednesday against the Dodgers, the Mets had McNeil in center field and Baty at second base.
“Third base, obviously coming up as a shortstop [he’s used to] the left side of the infield,” Mendoza said. “I just want to make sure since after he’s been for such a long time that we’ll probably keep him at third for now. But again, I could see a scenario where Brett goes back to third and he goes to second. But in this early going, I’m just prioritizing that.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Left-hander Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) will begin a rehab assignment Friday with High-A Brooklyn. The Cyclones are on the road in Wilmington, Delaware, but it’s a close enough trip. Manaea will get two ups and throw about 35 pitches.
Right-hander Frankie Montas (lat strain) was roughed up in his first Triple-A rehab start Tuesday night. Facing Buffalo, Montas gave up five earned runs on eight hits, with the Bisons homering four times off the veteran starter. He walked one and struck out three over four innings, throwing 61 pitches, but only 43 for strikes. The Bisons did swing and miss eight times, but they were also able to elevate the ball.
Siri (fractured tibia) is traveling with the Mets to be around the team trainers during this road trip. The center fielder has been taking batting practice for about two weeks and doing running drills, but the Mets say he still isn’t close to a return.
