Starling Marte has officially been shut down for the season, Mets manager Buck Showalter announced to reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). The outfielder has been on the injured list with a groin strain since early August.
Up until this point, Marte was holding out hope he could return before the end of the year. However, he also knew it was a possibility he’d need groin surgery in the offseason. He had groin surgery last winter, too, and given his poor performance this season, it seems like he never fully recovered.
It’s understandable why Marte would want to get back in the lineup for one last chance to turn around his disappointing season, but it’s hard to argue with the team’s decision to shut him down. With the Triple-A season complete, he would have had to return without a rehab assignment, and considering the Mets’ 71-85 record, there was never going to be a good reason to rush him back and risk his long-term health. The 34-year-old is under contract for two more seasons, and it is in everyone’s best interest to make sure he’s fully healthy before he gets back on the field.
From 2021-22, Marte was one of the better hitting outfielders in the game. In just over 1,000 plate appearances, he posted an .828 OPS with 28 home runs and 65 stolen bases. Unfortunately, he looked like a shell of his former self in 2023, posting career-worst numbers across the board. His .625 OPS was the lowest of his career by nearly 100 points. Perhaps with an offseason of rest and recovery (and potentially surgery), Marte will be able to rediscover his All-Star form in 2024.
This will drastically impact their 2023 playoff chances.
I’ve never seen a staw break a camels back more than this one just did?
Mets should shut down their entire franchise for how pathetic they’ve been.
@Missippi_has_3K’s
The 50-55 Mets at the end of July that traded two aged starters, an aging closer, a journeyman reliever, a 4th OF and a 3B that lost his job to a suspect rookie were a disappointment …..maybe the biggest disappointment ever for the Mets
The 2-11 Mets that began August losing seven straight and got shellacked by the Braves were not mentally ready for what happened at the trading deadline.
The 19-20 Mets that have been on the field since mid August are actually playing better than many thought they would.
Wasn’t that guy who wrote like the first 3 SAW movies homeless? Did they shut him down? Tis the season?
In 2024 Marte will be 35. His speed will continue to deteriorate. 4th OF, PH from here on out on a contending team.
He’s following the Andrew McCutchen school of aging.
Perhaps he needed more time to recover from last year’s groin surgery and possibly another one this off-season. He still had 24 SBs and it’s not like speed is his only skill. I’m not writing him off just yet.
As a fourth OF he actually has good value, but they’ll consider him a starter. The reality is he’ll miss time again and gilbert will get called up and mcneil will also play OF if hes still w the team.
One wonders if Marte will be playing behind DJ Stewart next year.
Stewart has definitely earned a look. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stewart got a shot at DH with Vientos in a platoon.
It’s not all bad for the Mets; they acquired some decent prospects, they’re not too capped out and D.J Stewart seems to have won himself a roster spot for next year. It won’t surprise me to see the Mets strongly contend for a wild card playoff spot as soon as next year.
With what pitching?
With the three starters they’ll add this offseason. Free agency—you’ve heard of it?
As it stands, that’s a tough road for the Mets. Senga and Quintana (who is aging) are their only legitimate starters for the rotation.
It was obvious in mid-April that he was a shell of himself, and it continued to be obvious most of the season. He should have been put on the Injured List back then. Maybe he would have recovered at some point this season, maybe not. Either way, he certainly did not do himself or the team any favors by playing. And neither did the team. Someone should have been the adult in the room and IL’d him a lot, lot sooner.
@geofft It was shocking incompetence. Marte had devolved into a weak singles hitter and the Mets had Canha and Pham, plus McNeil more than capable of playing the OF. Marte’s OPS was .585 as of the first week in May and, damn it, they kept running him out there. They gave him two days off in late April but otherwise played him every day. It was beyond ridiculous. The Mets had 5 OFers, and made the player who was clearly their worst, the guy getting the 2nd most innings out there.
Who did this? Why don’t Mets beat reporters ask even the most rudimentary questions—was it Buck and his absurd affections for vets? Did they simply refuse to see what was in front of them? Marte’s defense was even worse than his offense, so there was NO point in playing him ahead of McNeil, Pham, and Canha.
@ JackStrawb LOL. Agree almost completely. As for the reporters, I’ve been saying that for four months now. Not just about this, but about a whole slew of things. Their ability to appear on SNY (and, in the case of Andy Martino, now work for it) has compromised them. The exposure and face time and its ability to boost their social media following has become more important to them than being good journalists.
I would disagree that they had 5 OFers. Because McNeil because was their starting, All-star second baseman and they didn’t have a legitimate replacement for him in the IF. And that, too, screams to the incompetence of Eppler’s roster build. They had no business coming into the season with only 4 OFs when 3 are over 34 years old, and one of those was on and off the IL all last year. They also stuck to the notion of Pham as a 4th OF/platoon DH for far too long. After a slow start, he was hitting for over a month before they started playing him with more regularity.
He shut himself down months ago
Save your groin Marte. It’ll be your friend well beyond baseball.
Marte was one of my favorite players since he played for the Pirates. Have a good offseason and recover. Maybe next year come back player in the National League
A lot of my black friends like him
But not your white friends?
Why is it not slider_withbaconandcheese then? Cramping my style… cramping my style…
And a chicken ring sandwich on the side
Perhaps it will be after this account gets banned.
This is the smart move. Him and Díaz are better off just focusing on a normal offseason and ramping up in spring training at full health.
Went to the game yesterday. Got there around 5pm, game was supposed to start at 7pm. There was not a single raindrop. Waited in the cold till practically 9:30 for it to start and they told us the game was canceled because the field was wet. Their grounds crew didn’t do a proper job of maintaining the field. Wasted my whole night in the freezing cold. A joke of a franchise, thats for sure. The only good thing was anyone was able to sneak down to where the dugouts were, only costed me $5. Steve Cohen is a horrible owner
The Mets didn’t cover the field before last weekend even though they knew Tropical Storm Ophelia would affect New York City. Ophelia’s rains saturated the field so thoroughly, there was no way to make it playable at any time Tuesday. Marlins were pissed and I don’t blame them.
Another reason why LOLmets endures.
@LFGMets (Metsin7) #FireBillyInEppler and @ChuckyNJ
I was ticked off as a Marlin fan, but also kind of figured this was gamesmanship…and the Marlins probably figured it out too. Everything points to it. We’re talking about an MLB franchise groundscrew with the technology we have today for following storms. The signs are there. The Mets just got swept by the Phillies. The Marlins played very well in the final two games of the series against the Brewers. Buck Showalter and several other coaches are of the “ole skool” breed. The Mets very likely wanted an extra day off to regroup…and it didn’t hurt that they could disrupt the rhythm of a division rival in the process, so they may have mentioned the good ole ‘get a rainout or unplayable field’ strategy to the groundscrew. There’s too many coincidences, and no proessional sports team’s groundscrew is that stupid.
While I don’t like it as a Marlins fan, I do understand that it’s part of the game and homefield advantage. But the Mets have to be aware that, with the Marlins as ticked off by it as they are, they can be sure that there will be a retaliation at some point. Division rivals don’t forget things like this, especially when it affects their hopes for a Playoff spot – no matter if it was stupidity or strategical. Long term Mets fans that were around for 2007 and 2008 know this well.
Stay tuned.
With this said, we’re on to Game 2 of this double header. Maybe the Marlins will wake up for this one.
Showalter’s been playing his best players against playoff hopeful teams. It isn’t likely this was gamesmanship, especially with the games having no meaning for the Mets unless they lose enough to drop to the bottom 6 this protecting their draft pick.
Wait isn’t this supposed to be about Starling Marte? It’s always something Mets isn’t? You are from Florida correct? It rains an awful lot there doesn’t it? They left the field uncovered on Saturday because the forecast with all that technology you speak of said conditions would clear by Tuesday. It didn’t. I don’t think Showalter,Cohen,and Eppler had some grand scheme to leave the field uncovered so the Marlins will have to play a double header. And for those of us who remember 07 and 08 very well. Those teams fell apart against Washington and Philly. The Mets were elimnated by losing the last game of the season to the Marlins. The Marlins were in dead last those 2 years and as a Met fan I never was upset the Marlins beat the Mets division rivals or not. I was mad that the Mets folded like a beach chair. It’s never been the Mets have to beat Miami because they were the team that elimnated us. As far as retaliation? Are the Marlins gonna throw at the grounds keeper’s? Spilt yesterday. Does Luzardo have enough? We’ll see what he’s made of. But just think if the Marlins miss the playoffs you can add another reason to your very long list of why you hate the Mets. It would be poetic justice.
One man’s “gamesmanship” is another man’s “palpably unfair act”. The Mets should be thankful they weren’t ordered to forfeit a game because they neglected to cover their field.
@ChuckyNJ
Yes, this article is about Marte. I was responding to you both mentioning the field thing with the Mets groundscrew dropping the ball.
As for the forecast for the day, sorry, but there is no stealth rain anymore with the meteorological tech that has been around for decades…and certainly not since satellite reports are available to everyone. The groundscrew is either incompetent or this was strategical. Considering they are a MLB groundscrew, I think it’s safe to say that they aren’t incompetent…even with them being the Mets groundscrew. But no biggie. It’s part of sports and homefield advantages.
LOL about throwing at the groundscrew. Maybe we’ll bring someone like Vince Coleman in for that.
But seriously, if the Marlins feel that was what happened, it’ll be more between the teams since the groundscrew would have been following orders instead of going rogue to do it. We’ll see. Remember that this is sports, and we’ve seen all sorts of antics from teams and players for various reasons over the years. To me, there’s too many coincidences here in this situation.
And of your thought of the Mets should be thankful that they weren’t forced to forfeit the game, at this time of the year, with the Playoff race as tight as it is, MLB wouldn’t make that call…even if there were to be something come out later that this was intentional. I will add that maybe the Mets should be thankful that MLB hasn’t ordered them to fire the responsible member of the groundscrew for the issue. This disrupted the schedule and other long-term decisions of a team in the Playoff hunt – like being able to bring Garrett back for the final game of the season if needed…and the fact that most double-headers are splits, so it’s much harder to take two games in a double-header than it is to take two games played on separate nights like originally scheduled. These among other affects to the Marlins. Someone should be reprimanded in the least. But I’m guessing someone get a little bonus for it instead of a reprimand…and the Mets are fortunate that MLB didn’t order an action taken against the responsible party because some nastiness could come out of it, especially if the person was following orders. But no problem…water under the bridge or under the infield at this point since the Marlins are currently still in a Playoff spot.
Go Marlins!
Starling Marte shut down in May.
But was he riding high in April?
@ miltpappas Fact check: Starling Marte played in 27 games in May and started 25 of them. He didn’t go on the IL until mid-July, then came back for a couple of games in early August.
No real reason to bring him back and risk exacerbating the injury. Get the surgery, rest, and then start offseason workouts so he can be ready for spring training. Mets are going to need him to play better and many more games if they are going to contend next season.
It is quite sad that the other Starling (Bubba Starling) is a bust. Both were top prospects.
OMG!
For The WHOLE rest of the season??
This is just devastating!
Next thing you’ll tell us we wont see Diaz either?
Man….. Guys, I sadly think this means the end of this Amazin’ Season!
I think I’m gonna go throw up now!
Ok Bye!
There should never be a comma before “too.”
@But I Do Incorrect, friend, and that doesn’t even count the occurrence where you want to emphasize your use of “too.”
You are the one who is incorrect. Check CMOS. There should never be a comma before it. That is an archaic rule of punctuation.