The New York Mets received crushing news Tuesday, learning that Jesse Winker’s comeback attempt has likely ended before it ever truly restarted.
Winker had been rehabbing diligently, appearing in Single-A games last week as he worked his way back from lingering back inflammation.
That plan, however, has collapsed. The Mets officially shut down Winker’s rehab assignment, with manager Carlos Mendoza confirming his season is probably finished.
A comeback derailed by repeated setbacks
The 32-year-old veteran had already endured one long recovery earlier this season, missing months with a severe oblique strain in May.
He briefly returned to action in early July, only for back issues to flare up just two days after being activated.
From that moment, his progress was stop-and-go, with each attempted step forward met by frustrating setbacks that sapped momentum.
Mendoza’s announcement reflects the reality: Winker is out of time, his body simply unable to cooperate in September.
What the Mets are losing in Winker
While Winker wasn’t having an All-Star campaign, his presence provided value as a left-handed designated hitter against right-handed pitching.
His numbers weren’t eye-popping, but a 94 wRC+ placed him within reach of league-average production despite sporadic playing time.
More importantly, Winker’s bat was a stabilizing piece during last season’s playoff push, making his absence sting more in 2025.
For a team seeking every ounce of depth down the stretch, losing him removes one more weapon from the offensive toolbox.
How the Mets are adjusting without him
The Mets have shifted into survival mode, and the emergence of Mark Vientos has softened Winker’s absence considerably at designated hitter.
Vientos has been red-hot lately, providing the kind of thunder Winker once supplied when healthy and locked in at the plate.
The young slugger had been wildly inconsistent before his current hot stretch, though, so he is peaking at the right time.
Meanwhile, Brett Baty has handled third base duties most nights, allowing the Mets to maximize Vientos’s impact in the everyday lineup from the DH spot.
This shuffle has worked, but the roster is thinner, and Winker’s injury remains an unwelcome reminder of “what could have been.”
A career marked by potential and frustration
Winker’s story with New York now feels like an unfinished book, filled with promise but cut short by recurring health problems.
When locked in, his sweet left-handed swing has always been capable of changing games, much like a spark that lights dry kindling.
But seasons like this highlight the cruel unpredictability of baseball, where injuries can transform a key player into a forgotten footnote.
For the Mets, his absence isn’t catastrophic thanks to Vientos’s surge, but it remains a frustrating subplot to an important playoff chase.
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