Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

In a week that has been mired by injuries, Luis Guillorme provided a much-needed bright spot for the Mets in their 6-1 win over the Marlins on Friday night.

Starting at shortstop, Guillorme got his evening started with a walk in the second inning, but came up with the bases loaded and none out in a tie game in the fourth. Guillorme turned on a Eury Perez cutter, ripping it down the right-field line for a bases-clearing double, giving the Mets a 4-1 lead. Guillorme later came around to score on Brandon Nimmo‘s bases-loaded walk.

Guillorme concluded his day at the dish by hitting an Andrew Nardi slider for a single. He was replaced by José Peraza in the sixth inning.

It was both a big and significant day for Guillorme given that he had struggled at the plate in spring training up to that point. Despite those struggles, however, the veteran was able to reach base three times on Friday and he will now hope to use that as a springboard in which to continue to build for the regular season. Guillorme is currently hitting .250 in the Grapefruit League.

Guillorme will once again be relied on to play a Swiss Army knife role in the infield – as he’s seen time at second base, third base, and shortstop this spring. Last year, the 28-year-old ranked in the 91st percentile in Outs Above Average according to Statcast, racking three OAA at second base, two at shortstop, and one at third base.

While he doesn’t necessarily stand out offensively, he does a good job avoiding strikeouts (13.8% strikeout rate), and his batted-ball data improved across the board in 2022. Guillorme won’t be an everyday player in 2023, but his versatility will allow him to be a leader for the “Bench Mob,” and he’ll be called upon to provide rest for the starters whenever necessary.

As such, the fact that Guillorme is starting to see results at the plate this late in spring can only be seen as a positive, both for him and for the Mets. And, with Brandon Nimmo having left Friday’s game with right ankle soreness, coupled with the fact that the Mets appear snakebitten when it comes to injuries right now, Guillorme may have a bigger role offensively to play in the early weeks of the 2023 regular season.