{"id":68258,"date":"2024-03-13T23:52:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T03:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=68258"},"modified":"2024-03-13T23:52:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T03:52:21","slug":"brett-baty-back-soreness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/03\/13\/brett-baty-back-soreness\/","title":{"rendered":"Brett Baty Removed From Wednesday&#8217;s Mets Lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/batybr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brett Baty<\/a> was scheduled to play third base and bat cleanup for the New York Mets against the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Instead, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vientma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mark Vientos<\/a> started the game at third (instead of first) while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/choiji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ji Man Choi<\/a> manned first. Shortly after the game started, the New York Mets announced that Baty was scratched due to &#8220;minor back tightness&#8221; and is considered day-to-day.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Mets say Brett Baty got scratched because of &#8220;minor back tightness.&#8221; He is day-to-day.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Tim Healey (@timbhealey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timbhealey\/status\/1768040753278685526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Brett Baty Removed from Mets Lineup on Wednesday<\/h2>\n<p>Baty, 24, is the frontrunner to receive most of the playing time at third base this season. It doesn&#8217;t currently seem that Baty&#8217;s back issues will put Opening Day in jeopardy. However, it&#8217;s a notable development considering the state of the roster and available replacement options.<\/p>\n<p>If Baty&#8217;s back causes him to miss time, Vientos would likely see increased time at the position. This would decrease his time as DH or on the bench but would give him his first consistent stretch of playing time in the majors.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Mark Vientos deep into the night! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Pvx1gAEKKH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Pvx1gAEKKH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SNY (@SNYtv) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SNYtv\/status\/1768071247311597975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>If Vientos sees more time at third, more DH at-bats open up. In-house options for those at-bats include sluggers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/stewadj01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DJ Stewart<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/voitlu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luke Voit<\/a>, or Choi. Additionally, veterans like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/martest01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Starling Marte<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/n\/nimmobr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Nimmo<\/a> can DH more as a way to save their legs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wendljo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joey Wendle<\/a> can also fill in at third, but the Mets likely would rather use him as a part-time utility payer. Plus, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcneije01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeff McNeil<\/a>&#8216;s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/03\/02\/jeff-mcneil-injury-update\/\" target=\"_self\">bicep<\/a> could require Wendle to see more regular time at second base than initially hoped. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/shortza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zack Short<\/a> is also on the 40-man roster and can fill in at second, but that feels pretty uninspiring for a team with postseason aspirations.<\/p>\n<h3>Cautiously Optimistic<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Update to this: the Mets expect Brett Baty back in the lineup tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnthonyDiComo\/status\/1768079829524414655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Luckily, the Mets expect Brett Baty to be back in the starting lineup tomorrow, according to MLB.com&#8217;s Anthony DiComo. In the meantime, fans will likely still want the team to explore fallback options to sign in the event Baty reaggravates his injury. Potential additions include either <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/martijd02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J.D. Martinez<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisjd01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J.D. Davis<\/a>. Martinez would get every day at-bats at DH while Davis and Vientos would split time between DH, third base, and, if needed, first base. Neither provide good defense at any position and must hit to have value.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Which J.D. for Mets? Any J.D.? And why?<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HzbzxdOStz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/HzbzxdOStz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=martin018and&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-03-13_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andy Martin<\/a>o (@martinonyc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/martinonyc\/status\/1767981471724171640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Reports have linked the Mets to Martinez continuously throughout the offseason. However, president of baseball operations David Stearns has made it clear that he wants young players, like Vientos, to get a shot at establishing themselves. For what it&#8217;s worth, Vientos hit his third homer of the spring on Wednesday. The Mets signing Martinez and clogging the DH spot does not seem likely.<\/p>\n<p>Davis represents a better fit due to his ability to play defense, even at an average at best rate. If Baty and Vientos struggle to hit, Davis can fill in at third while veterans can rotate through DH. This flexibility gets lost with a full-time DH like Martinez on the roster. Plus, reports indicate that multiple teams have expressed interest in signing Davis, and he will likely sign with a team that can guarantee him everyday at-bats.<\/p>\n<h3>What To Do In The Meantime<\/h3>\n<p>Adding another player is not necessary right now. The Mets initially reported Baty&#8217;s back tightness as minor, and they will send him back out there on Thursday. Hopefully, all goes well as spring training continues. If the ailment does not progress well over the next couple days, then Stearns could look at bringing in more depth more seriously. Even then, Martinez continues to look like a rough fit for this roster.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Photo Credit: \u00a9 Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brett Baty was scheduled to play third base and bat cleanup for the New York Mets against the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Instead, Mark Vientos started the game at third (instead of first) while Ji Man Choi manned first. Shortly after the game started, the New York Mets announced that Baty was scratched due [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4683,"featured_media":68296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22,2,1071,35],"tags":[2690,6263,2183,2196,1378],"class_list":["post-68258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mets","category-featured","category-mlb","category-news","tag-brett-baty","tag-jd-davis","tag-jd-martinez","tag-joey-wendle","tag-mark-vientos"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4683"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}