J.D. Martinez’s New York Mets Debut Delayed By Conditioning

The New York Mets offense could really use a spark in the early going of the 2024 MLB season. They are 3-6 out of the gate this season with one of the most anemic offenses in the league to this point.

The Mets currently rank 28th in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage, last in slugging percentage and last in OPS. They have only 15 extra-base hits in nine games, which is the least in the majors, and 25 runs scored, which is 28th.

Slow starts by Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso have really held the team back. Coming into the season, hitting wasn’t expected to be the Mets’ issue, but they currently have seven players on the roster hitting under .200. Two of the players hitting over .300, Zach Short and Omar Narvaez, have 13 combined at-bats.

That is why the Mets and their fans are so excited to see J.D. Martinez eventually get into the lineup. However, that may not occur any time soon as Martinez’s debut has been delayed as he continues ramping up his conditioning. On Sunday, manager Carlos Mendoza gave a less-than-encouraging update on the status of Martinez.

“We’re not going to see him in a while,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to stay down in Port St. Lucie and get more at-bats. He’s feeling it. We knew he was going to need a lot of time. Not only with the timing and the mechanics, but overall with his body.”

Mendoza added that Martinez would take some time off before getting back to playing again, with Tuesday likely being when he returns. That certainly is disappointing to hear, but not too surprising.

Martinez agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with the Mets on March 24th. He remained in Florida once the MLB season began to continue getting into shape for the season. Over the weekend, he appeared in two games with the team’s Single-A affiliate, the Port St. Lucie Mets, going 1-for-8 with a walk.

Mendoza had hoped that Martinez’s ramp up would take about 15 days, but he is going to need longer than that. What Martinez is currently facing is something Mendoza likened to a player in only the second week of Spring Training.

“We’ll be flexible and we’ll listen to him,” Mendoza said. “It’s him telling us how he’s responding. It’s just fluid between the two sides. That’s the fine line we’re dealing with here. The last thing you want to do is rush him.”

The Mets certainly hope that Martinez can get in their lineup soon as they need all the help they can get. Last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez hit .271, mashing 33 home runs with 103 RBIs. The 2023 campaign was the most power Martinez has shown since 2019, as the home runs and OPS were both his highest since that season.