Feb 24, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Mike Tauchman (50) runs onto the field before the game against the Houston Astros at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
New York Mets outfielder Mike Tauchman suffered a torn meniscus and will need to undergo surgery, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Sunday, subsequently ending the competition for the starting right field job.
Tauchman pulled up lame while jogging out to his position during Saturday’s spring training game after appearing hobbled while running out of the box after a groundout in the third inning and while pursuing a Yainer Diaz double in the top of the fourth. He pulled himself from the game, and an MRI quickly revealed the extent of the injury.
“He started feeling discomfort yesterday, and he got to a point where he couldn’t it no more,” Mendoza said on Sunday. “…The trainers kind of knew as soon as he came out right away.”
The 35-year-old, who was entrenched for one of the final two Opening Day roster spots alongside Vidal Brujan and top prospect Carson Benge, posted an .819 OPS across 13 exhibition games this spring with one home run, three doubles, and four walks.
Carson Benge Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
His absence all but guarantees that Benge, the top non-pitching prospect in the Mets’ organization and the No. 2 overall talent in the pipeline, will make the big-league club to begin the 2026 MLB season, which begins on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 23-year-old had been checking all the boxes necessary to take over in right from the jump, though, president of baseball operations David Stearns and Mendoza were not ready to anoint him the starter at any point throughout spring training. Across 38 spring plate appearances, Benge is batting .368 with an .889 OPS, five RBI, and a stolen base.
Had Tauchman stayed healthy, both outfielders likely would have been included on the Opening Day roster, anyway. The Mets hinted at taking such a course when they optioned infielder Ronny Mauricio to Triple-A and had Bo Bichette — the starting third baseman — shift over for reps at shortstop as a potential backup option for Francisco Lindor, who is ready to go for the start of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left hamate bone last month.
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