The New York Mets can’t seem to catch a break this season when it comes to injuries, especially with Jesse Winker.
Winker had just returned from a strained oblique that cost him several weeks, offering a brief jolt of optimism for the Mets lineup.
His activation was timely, coming right after Starling Marte landed on the shelf with a bruised knee suffered earlier this week.
But in a frustrating twist, Jesse Winker was removed in the fourth inning of Game 1 against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
Winker had just one plate appearance before being pulled and replaced by Mark Vientos; the team cited back tightness as the reason.
It’s another gut punch for the Mets and Winker alike, as both hoped for a clean restart after weeks of rehab and rest.
A Season of Setbacks for Winker and the Mets
This year has felt like a game of whack-a-mole for New York’s medical staff—fix one issue, and another pops up.
Winker’s oblique injury already kept him out for a significant stretch, and now back tightness threatens to send him back to the injured list.
The Mets won’t take chances this time. Winker is flying back to New York rather than traveling with the team to Kansas City.
He’ll undergo an MRI, and only then will the Mets decide whether another IL stint is necessary or if this is precautionary.
Carlos Mendoza, always calm and measured, acknowledged the concern but stressed they’d wait for imaging before sounding any alarms.
A Glimmer of Hope: Oblique Injury Not Involved
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that this issue isn’t believed to be connected to his earlier oblique strain.
Obliques are notoriously tricky—any aggravation there might’ve led to a longer absence. But this feels like a different beast.
Even the word choice matters. The Mets called it tightness, not discomfort or pain, which offers a slightly more encouraging tone.
Still, anyone who’s followed Winker’s career knows that back problems have surfaced before, so it’s hard to fully exhale.
He’s a talented hitter when healthy, especially against righties, and had begun to show signs of heating up before the initial injury.
The Mets’ Lineup Feels the Pinch Yet Again
With Marte out, Winker was supposed to help anchor the DH spot and add left-handed balance to the batting order.
But his exit now stretches the Mets’ depth even further, forcing guys like Mark Vientos and the recently promoted Luisangel Acuna into bigger roles sooner than planned.
It’s not just a Winker problem—it’s emblematic of the Mets’ season. Every forward step seems to come with two steps back.
They’ve faced a barrage of injuries all year—Kodai Senga, Francisco Alvarez, Griffin Canning, A.J. Minter, and many more—the list keeps growing like a bad shopping receipt.
The offense is already streaky. Remove someone like Winker, and the lineup suddenly feels top-heavy and vulnerable again.
A Player Worth Rooting For
Winker, for all his setbacks, remains a player teammates root for and coaches believe in. His effort is never in question.
He battled through injuries in previous stops with Milwaukee, Seattle, and Cincinnati, and each time, he’s tried to fight his way back.
This season felt like a chance at redemption. A healthy Winker could be a huge boost, especially with a Mets team clinging to contention hopes.
Watching him walk off Thursday—not in visible pain, but with the quiet frustration of “here we go again”—was a punch to the gut.
Baseball’s a grind. And for Jesse Winker, it’s becoming a test of both body and spirit this summer in Queens.
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