Another injury blow for the Mets as Luis Robert Jr. lands on IL
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Things just keep getting worse for the New York Mets.
After finally snapping their longest losing streak in decades, getting swept at home by the Colorado Rockies and then getting pounded by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, New York added another starter to the injured list.
The Mets announced Thursday morning that Luis Robert Jr. is heading to the 10-day injured list with a lumbar disc herniation. He joins a growing list of Mets on the IL that includes Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Kodai Senga.
Robert, 28, has been battling back discomfort for several days and underwent an MRI on Wednesday. He last appeared in a game on April 26. So the Mets will be able to backdate the IL to April 27.
The timing is brutal for Robert, who was showing early signs of being a successful "change of scenery" guy.
Robert was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason and had shown some early promise. He was hitting .258 with a .372 on-base percentage and .379 slugging percentage before the back became an issue. He has since slumped to .224/.327/.329.
Health has always been an issue with Robert. He has played in just 234 games since his breakout 2023 season, when he hit .264 with 38 home runs and 20 steals for Chicago. That remains his only season in which he has played more than 110 games.
The Mets called up corner infielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A to fill Robert’s roster spot. The Mets' center field options are now veteran Tyrone Taylor and rookie Carson Benge.
That’s not exactly reassuring for Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who is on the hot seat after a brutal start to the season. They had a 12-game losing streak, the organization’s longest in 22 years. The Mets had the worst record in baseball, 10-20, when they announced the move on Thursday morning.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mets put Luis Robert Jr. on IL with back injury
