Starling Marte. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

Time to get ready for the Marte Party!

Sunday afternoon was the final tune up in the Mets spring season, as the team prepares to begin another season of baseball on March 30th. One of those people who got the most out of their final few reps is Mets outfielder Starling Marte. Yesterday, Marte had a strong showing, contributing directly to two out of three runs scored by the Mets, by going 3-for-3, with two doubles, while driving in a run and scoring a run himself, in the Mets 3-3 tie against the Miami Marlins.

Starling Marte gets the Mets on the board with an RBI double pic.twitter.com/MnqrP2POxA

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2023

Marte’s success in spring training has been a pleasant development for the Mets, as he concludes with a fantastic slash line of .344/.361/.535, earning him a solid .924 OPS. Based on his performance in the spring, he appears to be fully healed and ready to compete in the upcoming regular season. Last season, Starling Marte played in 118 games for the Mets and displayed impressive stats in what was a stellar first season in NY, boasting a slash line of .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs, 63 RBI, and 76 runs.

As he prepares for his second season of a lucrative four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets, the 34-year-old outfielder revealed that he had been experiencing leg pain for much of the 2022 season. Despite the discomfort, Marte opted to play through the pain during the final stretch of the season.  Marte was hit by a pitch in early September against the Pittsburgh Pirates that forced him to miss most of the month.

Marte was able to come back before the Mets Wild Card series versus San Diego, but was clearly not 100 percent. Additionally, in examining him, doctors discovered a slight separation in the tendons connecting the groin muscles, Further examination revealed potential wear on both sides, leading to surgery being performed on both groin muscles on November 1. There were legitimate concerns that Marte would not be ready for spring training and at worst, opening day.

After a slight delay at the start of spring due to lingering concerns of his surgery in November, Marte finally saw game action in the middle of March. During the Mets’ 10-4 exhibition loss to the Rays, he was hit in the left ear flap by a fastball from Rays pitcher Elvin Rodriguez that was clocked at 93 mph. Despite the severity of the impact, Marte was able to leave the field unaided. Following the incident, initial tests for a concussion returned negative, and Buck Showalter, the team’s manager, reported that Marte was fully coherent during conversations.

After the dust settled though and Marte was able to shake off the cobwebs, it looks as if he is ready for the upcoming season, as evident by his performance this spring as well as yesterday’s final tune up. The Mets cause for caution seems to have been the right move with Marte’s progression, as there hasn’t been a delay or set back since, all but earmarking him for Opening Day. Earlier in the spring, Marte played a full nine innings in right field for the first time, which may have convinced manager Buck Showalter that he is ready for the upcoming season. Showalter emphasized the importance of the final week and noted that Marte knows how crucial it is to be fully prepared and ready. Despite his decline in stolen bases last season, Marte still considers it a critical part of his game.

“I just kind of listened to what the trainers told me, what to do with my recovery, and I just followed it,” Marte said Saturday at Clover Park through an interpreter. “I feel my speed is good. I have stolen a couple of bases here so I feel like the operation, it helped, it worked and it feels good.”

The New York Mets will heavily rely on Marte this season, given his importance to the team’s success. Marte possesses strong plate discipline and is one of the team’s most consistent players when it comes to getting on base. If he can return to his previous base-stealing form, it would be a significant advantage and added boost for both him and the Mets this season.

As an experienced outfielder with exceptional speed and base-stealing abilities, Marte is a versatile player who can play a steady right field or center field in a pinch, as needed, making him a valuable asset to the Mets. A healthy Starling Marte will mean the world for this Mets club in 2023.

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Starling Marte. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

Starling Marte was cleared for baseball activities, according to Mets general manager, just two days after being hit in the head by a pitch. On Sunday, Marte left the game under his own power but was held back from participating in game play Monday until he was fully cleared from any concussion worries.

Marte is still working his way back from surgery on his core this offseason. He made his spring debut on Saturday, crushing a double then a homer in two consecutive at-bats.

Eppler provided a couple of more injury updates on Tuesday, as well:

• Kodai Senga: Senga threw his first bullpen in a couple days after being scratched from a start on Sunday. The Mets say Senga was nursing a sore right index finger, an injury Buck Showalter said Senga probably would have pitched through during the regular season.
• Brooks Raley: The lefty was seen playing catching in the field. Raley withdrew from the World Baseball Classic after suffering a low-grade hamstring strain in an exhibition game leading up to the WBC. Raley is expected to be ready by Opening Day, though it will be a week or so until he sees game action.
• José Quintana: Billy Eppler still not have an official update or timeline with regards to Quintana. A report from the NY Post came out Monday saying the Mets planned to shut Quintana down for three months, though Eppler called that report “premature.”
• Bryce Montes de Oca: Though this news came out Monday, it seems the Mets’ hard-throwing reliever avoided the worst injury news after leaving Sunday’s game with forearm soreness. De Oca was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his elbow. He has no ligament damage.

The MLB regular season starts in just 16 days.

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Starling Marte. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

Starling Marte‘s second spring training game of the season was cut short in the fifth inning on Sunday. He was struck by a 93 MPH fastball from Rays’ pitcher Elvin Rodriguez on the top of the helmet. Luckily, Marte immediately walked off the field under his own power. He was replaced on first base by Omar De Los Santos.

The Mets provided an update on their right fielder toward the end of the game. Luckily, the initial evaluation for a concussion came back negative. He will be reevaluated tomorrow. First impression is it appears he escaped uninjured.

This was only Marte’s second spring game of the season. He got a late start due to his recovering from the groin surgery he had in November of 2022. Marte went 2-for-2 with a double and home run in his first spring game while playing right field. On Sunday, the 34-year-old was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being hit by the pitch.

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Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Starling Marte was back in the Mets’ lineup on Friday for the first time since undergoing groin surgery in November to repair separated tendons in his groin. Marte looked healthy and ready to return and showed excitement in his return to the field.

Marte went 2-for-2 on Friday, hitting a double in his first at-bat of the afternoon and a two-run home run in his second at-bat of the day. He also played four innings in right field in the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Houston Astros at Clover Park. Given how key a piece Marte is in this lineup, the fact he looked so good in his first game back was pleasing for everyone concerned.

“I feel good, but I’m not at 100% right now,” Marte said. “We’re advancing day-by-day.”

Marte injured his goin and had issues with his quad early in 2022. He missed a little time due to the injury, but didn’t fully deal with it until the end of the 2022 season when he had the surgery. Though he doesn’t feel 100% now, Marte expects to be ready for Opening Day.

“Now that I’ve already started playing, I know that I’m starting to ramp up,” Marte said. “It’s slowly, just take it day by day. But as my body gets stronger throughout the next couple weeks, I should be ready for opening day at 100%.”

The Marte Parte has OFFICIALLY begun! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/YlezcbljHK

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 10, 2023

Mets manager Buck Showalter also confirmed that Marte should also be ready for Opening Day. He joked with the media saying: “We’ll see him Opening Day, he’s done.”

Marte showed that he’s ready and showed that he has the ability to make an impact in the lineup. His double down the left-field line had a velocity of 103.5 mph. His two-run home run left the bat at 106.8 mph. But with an injury like his, he wants to make sure he’s ready.

“When it comes to the body, strengthening the body is the most important part for us,” Marte said. “To be able to make those small achievements throughout camp, that’s the most important part for me.”

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Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Updated Post – Feb. 23, 13:55

Mets right fielder Starling Marte took live batting practice on Thursday in Mets camp off starter Kodai Senga. Marte also took full regular BP as he recovers from groin surgery.

Buck Showalter told the media after BP that the Mets have a date in mind for when Marte will likely start playing in games, but don’t want to get it out there publicly yet.

Here’s Kodai Senga facing Starling Marte in live BP pic.twitter.com/u0OQLUDb9v

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) February 23, 2023

Original Post – Feb. 20, 10:48

Starling Marte is taking things slow after offseason core muscle surgery.

The Mets outfielder underwent surgery in November. Marte said the procedure occurred on both groins, to tendons that had separated form the leg. One of the procedures – done on his right leg – was preventative, while the operation done on his left leg was the repair.

“It was bothering me for the better part of the season … and thankfully I was able to finish the season,” Marte said. “Once the season ended, that is when we decided to have the operation.”

Marte played 118 games last season and just five during the Mets division race in September and October due to a broken middle finger. He made a return for the playoffs where he went 2-for-12 in three games.

Marte plans to play Opening Day. He nor the Mets are rushing him and it resulted in him removing himself from consideration for the World Baseball Classic as a member of the Dominican Republic’s team.

“We have been in constant contact all offseason,” Marte said of his communication with the team. “I have flown up to New York, they evaluated me there and they evaluated me when I got here. Now we’re trying to start a plan for this spring training just to make sure that I’m ready.

“The biggest factor in [missing the WBC] is having the operation and not being at 100 percent, to be able to play at the highest level in a situation like that. It’s unfortunate I am not able to represent my country this go-around, but you just have to move along and make sure you are ready for the season.”

Marte is entering year two of a four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets. He was integral to New York’s offensive success slashing .292/.347/.468 primarily out of the two-spot in the lineup. He also made the switch to right field, improving his defensive metrics.

The one area that Marte didn’t shine in was stolen bases. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t fully healthy but he only attempted 27 steals last season after trying 52 times the season prior. With improved health and bigger bases Marte could be back to being the elusive base stealer he was before.

“If I’m healthy, most definitely, I’ve always been an aggressive player,” Marte said. “I’ve always been a player that likes to run a lot to get into scoring position so the batter can drive me in. So it really depends on health there and I can do that on the bases and also in the field.”

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Photo via USA Today

The New York Mets announced on Thursday afternoon that Starling Marte underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury sustained in the second half of this season. A typical recovery timeline is eight weeks. He’s expected to be without restriction in Spring Training.

Marte, 34, had a fantastic first season with the Mets hitting .292/.347/.468 with 24 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs, and 63 RBIs in 118 games. He stole only 18 bases and was caught stealing nine times a year after stealing 47 bases with only five caught stealing. The 136 wRC+ he posted this year was a career-high and he posted a 3.0 fWAR. MMO recently gave Marte a B+ grade for his efforts in the 2022 season.

The biggest issue for Marte during the 2022 season was being 100% when he was on the field and missing the final stretch of the season. Marte missed a month at the end of the regular season after getting hit by a pitch that broke the middle finger on his right hand and had a quad injury that lingered for most of the season. He did return from his finger injury to play in the Wild Card Series.

Mets’ GM Billy Eppler recently said the team would be comfortable with Marte playing center field in 2023 if that gave the team more options this offseason with 2022 center fielder Brandon Nimmo likely to be a highly sought-after free agent. Marte played right field 116 times for the Mets in 2022 after having never played there before in the big leagues. It was also the first season in Marte’s career that he didn’t start a game in center field.

As the Mets’ lead in the division crumbled away down the stretch they clearly missed the offense of Marte. The veteran outfielder has three years at $20.75 million annually left on his deal with the Mets that he signed last offseason.

The post Starling Marte Had Surgery to Repair Core Muscle appeared first on Metsmerized.

Grade: B+

2022 Review

Before the 2022 season, Starling Marte had never started an MLB game in right field. In his first season as a Met, he started 116 and was a mainstay of Mets lineups for the first five months of the season in Citi Field’s expansive right corner of the outfield.

Then on September 6, Marte was hit in the hand by a pitch in a game against the Pirates. Initial reports were optimistic, but later it would be discovered that Marte’s right middle finger was fractured. For weeks he couldn’t throw a ball or grip a bat and while Marte was sidelined, the Mets wilted down the stretch.

One has to wonder if that stretch run would have been different with Marte in the lineup. Instead of Marte’s 2022 3.8 bWAR in right field, the Mets started Tyler Naquin‘s -0.1. “What if’s” don’t do any good, but I know the Mets definitely missed Starling for the last month of the season.

Focusing on when Starling was on the field, the Mets have to be pleased with the production Marte brought to the lineup in his first year in Queens. For the second time in his eleven-year career, he was named an All-Star and was very solid as a right fielder for the first time in his career.

Time and time again, Marte’s big arm gunned down runners and held them in their tracks a few times as well. The outfield of Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Marte was a constant and welcome piece of consistency until Marte’s injury.

While Marte put up solid at-bats all year long, hitting .292/.347/.468, it does seem he lost a step as a base-stealer. Coming off a 2021 season that saw Starling lead MLB with 47 stolen bases while being caught just 5 times, Marte stole just 18 bases and was caught nine times as a Met. While he was not healthy all season long, it remains to be seen if the can be the speedster on the base paths that he was in 2021.

The other interesting note from Marte’s 2022 season is that the defensive metrics were mixed on his work in right with DRS having him at three and OAA having him at -2.

2023 Outlook

Much of Starling Marte‘s role, at least defensively, depends on what the Mets do, or don’t do, with Brandon Nimmo.

Prior to his time in Queens, Marte was almost exclusively a center fielder. With the right field alterations in Citi Field, it might make more sense to plan on Marte moving back to his old position if the team doesn’t re-sign Nimmo. Many Met fans will tell you the right field adjustments are to make room for Aaron Judge. Having Marte in center and Judge in right would make the Mets outfield one of the best in baseball.

Marte is under contract for three more seasons with the Mets, due $20.75M in each. At the conclusion of this deal, Marte will be 37 years old. It’s every Met fan’s hope that Marte can continue to post high production as he ages, and his performance in 2023 as he rebounds from injury will be indicative of whether he can keep up a high level of play or not.

In 2015, at 34 years old, Curtis Granderson had one of his best seasons and helped the Mets reach the World Series. We’ll be hoping to see history repeat itself with Marte, who will be 34 in 2023.

The post 2022 Mets Report Card: Starling Marte, RF appeared first on Metsmerized.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Postseason Day! The 2022 MLB Playoffs begin tonight and the New York Mets have been handed a sizeable boost ahead of Game 1 of the National League Wild Card against the San Diego Padres. Veteran outfielder Starling Marte is on the postseason roster, as is rookie phenom Francisco Àlvarez. You can see the full roster here.

Marte’s return was first reported by Andy Martino of SNY. 

Starling Marte (@Starlingmart) is on the roster for the Wild Card series. #TheseMets pic.twitter.com/fxb7cKOHLe

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) October 7, 2022

The return of Marte is obviously the biggest development for the Mets, who will be hoping to advance past the Padres this weekend to set up a mouthwatering showdown with the Dodgers in the NLDS. Marte was a huge question mark having been out for over a month with a fractured right middle finger.

Marte participated in baseball activities on Thursday and showed continued progress in his rehab from an injury that has proved difficult to overcome. Speaking on Thursday, Mets general manager Billy Eppler said: “He can grip things. We’re still waiting and see how he comes along.”

The fact that Marte has now been deemed healthy enough to make his return in the postseason is hugely significant for the Mets, who missed the veteran’s right-handed bat in their series sweep to Atlanta that ultimately handed the NL East crown to the Braves. Plus, the margins are razor thin in the playoffs, and Marte’s ability to get on base, steal bases and manufacture runs could prove to be a difference maker against the Padres.

The other notable addition to the postseason roster for the Mets was that of Àlvarez, who at 20 years old, is the youngest player to ever appear on a Mets postseason roster. Only three 21 year-olds have played in a playoff game in team history: Gregg Jefferies (1988), Dwight Gooden (1986), and Wayne Garrett (1969).

After being called up, Àlvarez played in five games, hitting .167/.286/.500 with a .786 OPS in 12 at-bats. He also hit one home run, one double and had one RBI. However, the catcher boasts a powerful bat with plus-plus power and he can provide some lethal pop both at the catcher position and at DH. His ability to hit moonshots at a high rate could also prove to be an X-Factor for the Mets in their Wild Card matchup against the Padres, and the return of Marte can also not be understated heading into Game 1.

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Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The return of Mets right fielder and All-Star Starling Marte is not imminent according to manager Buck Showalter.

Marte has been out since September 6 when he was hit by a pitch from Pirates starter Mitch Keller on the hand that broke his right middle finger.

“A little progress but not enough to think something is imminent,” Showalter said.

The earliest Marte could return is Friday but what he can accomplish over the next couple of days will be critical in determining that, says the manager.

Marte was supposed to try swinging with two hands and grip/throw a baseball on Monday, says Tim Healey of Newsday. He had been unable to do either of those things since fracturing his finger.

The Mets also gave an update on rookie third baseman Brett Baty. He’s been cleared for baseball activities and is set to hit off a machine soon. Thursday will be five weeks since undergoing thumb surgery for a UCL tear. The Mets said “a typical return for this type of injury is five weeks” in August.

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Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Starling Marte (fractured right middle finger) is optimistic that he can return in time for the Braves series next weekend and hopes to start hitting and throwing today, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets have been without Marte since September 6 due to the right fielder fracturing his right middle finger after being struck by a pitch. Since the injury, the Mets have had a rotating door of Jeff McNeil, Tyler Naquin, and Darin Ruf starting in right field. The Mets also struggled for a brief period without Marte and were swept by the Chicago Cubs without him.

New York’s offense would benefit if Marte was able to come back in time for their three-game set in Atlanta.

Marte has been the best offensive addition to the Mets during the off-season and is having one of his best seasons ever. In 2022, the All-Star has a 3.7 WAR and an OPS+ of 131.

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