The Mets don’t expect Jesse Winker to return this season, manager Carlos Mendoza tells reporters (including Mike Puma of The New York Post). Winker has been sidelined since the middle of July with a lower back injury. He began a rehab assignment last week but has been shut back down from baseball activity, suggesting he suffered some kind of setback.
Winker had a productive 2024 season, batting .253/.360/.405 between the Nationals and Mets. Most of that production came early in the season with Washington. New York nevertheless brought Winker back on a $7.5MM free agent deal. They expected him to take the majority of the designated hitter playing time against right-handed pitching.
Injuries cost him that opportunity. Winker suffered a significant oblique strain in early May. That kept him out of action until shortly before the All-Star Break. He returned for two games and three plate appearances before going back on the shelf. His rehab stint in Low-A last week lasted two games.
Winker’s season probably comes to a close with a .229/.309/.400 slash in 81 plate appearances. He’ll return to free agency this winter and might be limited to minor league offers. The Mets will continue giving Mark Vientos and Starling Marte the majority of the DH at-bats. They’ve each been very good in the second half. Winker probably wouldn’t have pushed them for a ton of playing time even if healthy, but he could’ve played a meaningful run as a left-handed bat off the bench.
I just learned that he’s still in the MLB
Hit a meaningful homerun in last years postseason
I mean he was a decent player just last year…
…when he was playing for a new contract.
Ouchie.
Shame. Hope he gets well soon.
Many of the 2024 Mets that were retained were probably better off not being resigned.
Missed out on Jose Iglesias.
as in.. they missed out on a minus 0.7 WAR player with a .558 OPS and 56 OPS. They didn’t miss out, they passed o him. And they did it to allow more playing time for young IFs like Baty. And it was worth it.
Yeah, but like OMG!
Some teams never learn when it comes to signing free agents coming off their best seasons. Like Santander, Tyler O’Neill, Eduardo Rodriguez last year, and countless others. Bo Bichette will be another disappointment, having a great year now on a contract drive after being bad last year.
Gives a reason for Baty and Vientos to platoon next year too
Not sure what or how you figure that. This has zero impact on next year. Winker was gone at the end of this year anyway.
Baty and Vientos are already getting more than platoon playing time anyway. Baty has improved over the course of the season and is hitting well the past 6 weeks or so. And Vientos seems to have found his 2024 again. So why would you reduce them to a straight platoon?
What this does is it clears the path for Vientos to DH and Baty to play 3rd every day, thus keeping Vientos’ subpar defense off of the field.
Couldn’t happen to a douchier guy.
What’s this hate for Winkler? Examples?
Not sure his history tbh
He’s done nothing shitttty to anyone in mlb or the fans. He’s emotional on the field. Mets management sees it positively or they wouldn’t have had him back.
Didn’t get along with his teammates in Seattle. The beat writer said that Winker had a rep and other players didn’t like him, given as a reason why free agents didn’t want to sign on a team with him. There’s enough stories out there to suggest that Winker rubs people the wrong way
Henry Winkler would have been better this year for the Mets. Heyyyyyyy!
The Fonz would only play for the Milwaukee Braves
Noted.
I was happy that they signed him in the offseason. Clutch player and a much needed lefty DH. However, I’ve realized that I was wrong and that Winker is a bum. He is lazy and would rather smoke weed and chew tobacco then actually train. He came into training camp out of shape. Doesn’t stretch out/warm up enough before a game, which is the reason as to how he pulled his oblique throwing a baseball. He basically does the baseball equivalent of James Harden, without the talent that Harden has
He’s getting better. With the Mariners, he gave up in July.