WASHINGTON — Mark Vientos was back in the lineup for the third straight day, facing the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night as the designated hitter. After receiving sparse playing time throughout most of the month, the Mets are riding the hot hand with Vientos, who has gone 3-for-7 with home runs in the last two games.
“We need him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday at Nationals Park. “He’s a really good player that pretty much carried us last year too, and was an important part of this team. It’s been hard for him, but the signs that we’ve seen the past week or so, that’s the guy that we saw last year, and we’re going to need him.”
It’s the conventional way to draw up a lineup, but the Mets have bucked convention this season by rotating three young infielders in and out of the lineup, depending on defensive needs and pitching matchups. At certain points this season, the Mets have had to find playing time for four young infielders, Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña. As a result, their at-bats have been relatively inconsistent.
With Vientos being the weakest defender of the group, it left him as the odd man out at times. He could hit a home run one night and be out of the lineup the next. But since the Mets opted not to trade for an established utility infielder, they still have to find playing time and at-bats for Vientos, Baty and Mauricio. They’re too young and too green to be sitting on the bench, but the team also thinks they’re too advanced to be playing in Triple-A.
“There’s competition,” Mendoza said. “He continues to earn playing time.”
The competition aspect has frustrated Vientos at times. It’s not what the 25-year-old expected after hitting 27 home runs last season, his third in the big leagues. But then again, a .649 OPS isn’t what he expected either. It’s been a challenging season for Vientos.
He’s choosing to embrace the challenges instead of fight against them.
“I’m trying to get back to enjoying the game, and I’m learning a lot from the season that I probably wouldn’t have learned if I was having a great season,” Vientos told the Daily News. “I’m fortunate that it’s happening because I’m learning as much as possible.”
One of the things he learned was to keep the same pregame routine daily, regardless of whether or not he’s in the lineup. It helps him stay locked in mentally and prepare for whatever might come in the middle of the game, whether he’s needed at third base or needed to pinch-hit off the bench. When he isn’t in the lineup, he puts in extra work in the batting cages with hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes, Eric Chavez and assistant coach Rafael Fernandez. He takes extra ground balls with Mike Sarbaugh.
More importantly, he trusts that Mendoza has his best interest in mind, and that his best interest is also the best interest of the entire team.
Make no mistake, Vientos wants to play, but he’s been able to ease his frustration by reminding himself that he achieved his childhood dream of playing baseball. While it might not look like what he envisioned after last season, it’s still a privilege, and he’s still going to enjoy the game from the field, from the dugout, or from the cages.
“I don’t play this game for results,” Vientos said. “I play this game because I love it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Through two rehab appearances, right-hander Tylor Megill (elbow sprain) has yet to allow an earned run. He’s thrown five innings so far, all with Double-A Binghamton, and will make another start Sunday. The velocity on his fastball has been up to 97-98 MPH, which could make for a strong addition to the starting rotation during the final month of the season.
Megill threw 55 pitches his last time out, and the goal Sunday is to reach about 70 pitches.
Center fielder Jose Siri (fractured tibia) has resumed baseball activities after a setback in his rehab, and could start playing in minor league games as soon as next week.
Outfielder/DH Jesse Winker (lower back inflammation) isn’t progressing very quickly. He’s hitting in the cages and off a tee, but Mendoza said he’s having a hard time recovering after some workouts. The Mets hope Siri and Winker will both be able to return by the end of the season.
Originally Published:
