ST. LOUIS -- Jesse Winker, the left-handed side of the Mets’ designated hitter platoon, could be looking at an extended absence after injuring his right oblique Sunday during a 6-5 loss to the Cardinals. Winker will not fly with the team to Arizona for the continuation of their six-game road trip.
Instead, Winker will head back to New York for additional testing and almost certainly land on the 10-day injured list before Monday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks.
Starting in the outfield for the first time this season in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium, Winker received just one defensive chance, when Nolan Gorman hit a sacrifice fly to shallow left. In an attempt to cut down the runner at home, Winker put his full force behind the throw and immediately felt a twinge in his right side.
The Mets sent Winker for an initial MRI in St. Louis, which revealed enough damage for them to make further plans to fly him to New York.
“I felt it pretty much right when I threw the ball,” Winker said during a clipped postgame interview. “I’m going to wait till those tests and figure it out from there.”
With Winker sidelined, the Mets are likely to lean more heavily on his DH platoon-mate, Starling Marte, who occasionally started against right-handed pitchers anyway. The team could also use the position to give partial days of rest to players like Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos.
As far as a roster fill-in, the Mets have multiple veteran DH types at Triple-A Syracuse who have been productive, including Jon Singleton and Billy McKinney. Given that Winker was essentially a full-time DH, the Mets could feasibly call up someone at just about any position.
One player who’s not likely an option is Brett Baty, who has recently missed time with a sore right big toe. While Baty’s injury isn’t serious, it may prevent him from being available immediately.
Longer-term, the Mets’ roster decisions will depend upon how long Winker’s injury lingers. A Trade Deadline acquisition from the Nationals last season, Winker was batting .239/.321/.418 in 24 games during his first full season with the Mets.
He did not wish to speculate on the potential length of his absence, saying only: “Anytime you’re not playing, it sucks.”