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In a press conference Monday, Buck Showalter said that newly-acquired outfielder Starling Marte has been dealing with oblique soreness and hasn’t worked out with the team.
Marte approached the team last week and mentioned the soreness to the club, so out of an abundance of caution, the Mets took imaging and x-rays. Showalter said that those turned out well and that there is no immediate concern. However, he mentioned that there is always concern whenever there is an issue in the oblique, and that it is something they will monitor.
Marte signed a four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets in November, and is likely going to be the Mets center fielder in 2022.
This is not the first time Marte dealt with oblique issues, as in 2018 he missed a few games with a strained right oblique. The outfielder has always dealt with minor injury issues, as the only full seasons he’s had were 2015 and 2020.
Over 120 games in 2022 with the Marlins and Athletics, Marte hit .310 with a .383 OBP and .458 SLG. He had 12 home runs and drove in 55 batters while also stealing 47 bases.
If Marte’s injury presents an issue, the Mets have a reasonably deep outfield entering the season. The major league starters are likely to be Marte, Mark Canha, and Brandon Nimmo. They also have Dom Smith, who can play left field, and J.D. Davis and Jeff McNeil have both spent time out there as well.
Khalil Lee and Nick Plummer are the top minor leaguers to fill in for an injured player at the major league level. The Mets also re-signed Johneswhy Fargas to a minor league contract.
