SAN FRANCISCO — Brett Baty was set to play right field in the Mets‘ series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, but was scratched late with a sore left thumb. It’s the second injury the Mets suffered in San Francisco, with Juan Soto straining his calf Friday night in the second game of a three-game set, though Soto’s injury also seems to be minor at the moment.
And speaking of Soto, the Mets’ highest-paid player and star slugger, there was no update on his right calf as of Sunday morning. The team still plans to give him until Tuesday to see how he’s feeling.
But back to Baty. The super utilityman had surgery in 2022 to repair his right thumb ulnar collateral ligament, but told the Mets it doesn’t feel like a UCL injury. If it’s still sore when the team returns to Citi Field on Tuesday, they’ll send him for imaging. He was also able to finish the game Saturday.
“We’re just trying to be smart about it,” said manager Carlos Mendoza.
Jared Young played left field in place of Baty, with the Mets deciding not to use rookie Carson Benge in left, instead keeping him in right field and Luis Robert Jr. in center field. Mark Vientos played first base with Jorge Polanco still working through Achilles tendinitis. Polanco was able to DH for the second straight game and for the third time in the series.
It’s tough to take Vientos’s bat out of the lineup at the moment, and the Mets don’t want to aggravate Polanco’s injury further. Vientos came into the game hitting .471 with a home run and three RBI on the season, riding a four-game hitting streak. Defense has never been the strongest part of his game, and he’s playing more first base this year than third, which is what he’s typically always played for the Mets.
Vientos told the Daily News this week he’s pleased with how he’s handled his defensive duties at first base and sees the extra work that he’s been putting in paying off. The pitching staff has noticed as well, with Clay Holmes saying he was impressed with the way he made some tough diving stops during this seven-game road trip through St. Louis and San Francisco.
“He’s made some incredible plays, and some plays that he’s had to dive for,” Holmes said. “Some plays that have kind of been in-betweeners where he’s had to flip to the first to the pitcher covering and he’s been really good. It’s just good to see because he’s been putting in the work.”
The coaching staff has seen better instincts and better reads from Vientos.
“The jumps off the bat — the ball is coming off the bat, and he’s already moving in the direction of the ball a lot quicker,” Mendoza said. “You’ve got to give him credit and the coaches. With the new setup, he’s feeling comfortable. There’s a better rhythm there in the timing. It’s all about timing. Just like hitting, defensively, it’s the same way. He’s putting himself in a really good position to react when he needs to, and we’ve seen that especially going side-to-side.”