New York Mets Face DH Issues Again? Queens Team Faces Massive J.D. Martinez Setback

The Kings of the Queens’ desperate times just won’t end. Earlier today reports emerged that their ace Kodai Senga was effectively out till June. While that was a bummer, the reports of JD Martinez having “low back tightness” are quite scary. Suddenly the New York Mets are time-travelling back to 2023 when their DH spot remained a desert void of fertility. Are the Metsies once again looking at a season without a primary DH?

The 36-year-old JD Martinez has been suffering from such issues for the past several seasons. However, the Mets’ trouble stems from their batting not being as deep as they’d like it to be. While Martinez hasn’t debuted in the orange and blue squad yet, the Mets had hoped that his arrival would solve their issues. But this “soreness” and cortisone shot may have jeopardized those plans.

The Mets’ skipper Carlos Mendoza explained to the press that JD Martinez has “total body soreness” due to his ramp-up in Spring Training and the minor leagues. The 13-year veteran will need “3 to 5 days” before he can swing the bat again. However Mendoza wasn’t worried, he shared how this was something that was bound to happen.

“Look, this guy is almost to 80 at-bats in two weeks. I don’t think any position player when they first report to spring training goes through that quick of a ramp-up,” Mendoza said (via SNY). The skipper’s lack of worry stems from the fact that Martinez has experienced this before and that has raised the staff’s confidence.

“This is something he’s dealt with the past few years and he felt it again,” Mendoza said. “…Last year in April he dealt with (it) in LA; he got a shot and then within seven days he was back swinging the bat.” However, the process wasn’t as simple for Martinez as Mendoza makes it sound.

JD Martinez’s history with injuries delays his Mets debut

Last year JD Martinez’s season with the Los Angeles Dodgers too began on a similar note. He got a cortisone shot in late April. That led to the star missing around three weeks of playing time. Martinez remained absent from April 23 to May 12. However, while that was early, one can’t guarantee that he’ll have an early return every time. Perhaps that’s why the Mets are going to monitor his progress for the next 48-72 hours.

However, even if Martinez returns early he won’t have to be immediately thrust into the New York Mets’ starting squad. The slugger still has a lot of building up to do. As a result, he’ll be taking part in more minor league games until the slugger feels ready enough to step into the major league plates. As a result, it’s a long wait for the Metsies before they can witness their $12 million DH in action.

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