Mets non-roster outfielder Mike Tauchman is expected to be out for six weeks after undergoing meniscus surgery on his left knee, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The team announced the operation last week but had not provided a timetable for his return.
The injury probably cost Tauchman a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 35-year-old was in camp on a minor league deal but had a solid path to breaking with the MLB club. The Mets were likely to call up top prospect Carson Benge as the everyday right fielder either way, but there was a depth spot for the taking. Tauchman’s left-handed bat would have fit well on a bench that leans to the right side. Jared Young made the team in that role instead.
Tauchman has been an above-average hitter in three consecutive years. He’s coming off a .263/.356/.400 showing across 385 plate appearances for the White Sox. Tauchman is a platoon player whose game is built around a patient approach that keeps his on-base percentage high. His spring numbers were similar, as he walked four times and was hit twice more in 35 trips to the plate.
It seems Tauchman will be back on the field sometime in the middle of May. He’ll presumably spend some time in Triple-A before the Mets reconsider whether to call him up. Young and MJ Melendez are the two left-handed hitting depth outfielders on New York’s 40-man roster.
Good news.
Get better soon Mike.
Didn’t Mets passively decide to keep him and his salary? Small move that won’t work out probably
Why wouldn’t they? The majority of fans here were clamoring for their team to get Tauchman.
I’m not sure what you mean. Tauchman is on a split contract but he’s not on the 40-man roster yet so he’s on the minor league DL and will get whatever the agreement says for the minor league portion. He has opt-outs at scheduled dates but it doesn’t make sense to do it while he’s recovering. In the meantime, the Mets could choose to option Jared Young to Syracuse when Pham’s ramped up. They could put him in a platoon with Benge until Tauchman is ready to come up to the MLB.
Not that anyting they do with Jared Young is significant… but Young is out of options and would have to be DFA’d.
Phenom: what? Zero reason to platoon benge with pham. Leave him in Syracuse unless an emergency arises .
Don’t want Benge in a platoon—for once
Mets seem to have a relatively steady everyday lineup. They can have a round robin 3B-1B-DH situation for Bichette-Polanco-Baty, occasionally DHing Bichette to give Baty (or Vientos) some 3B work, doing the same at 1B. Bichette should still play every day.
Good news! 6 weeks is nothing.
We call that greenlaw-ing yourself
Hope he makes it back to the team
Better then Jared Young, come back soon