One of the top concerns from an injury standpoint going into the 2023 Spring Training for the New York Mets is the status of All-Star right fielder, Starling Marte.
It was first reported three weeks ago that Marte, who underwent core muscle surgery in November, would not be participating in the World Baseball Classic. Also, the Mets were unsure of whether or not Marte would be ready for the start of Spring Training or still rehabbing. From there, the Mets would determine his Opening Day availability.
There is no denying Marte’s significant value to this Mets’ lineup. Luckily, the initial report recently shared by Buck Showalter was a fairly promising one.
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Mets’ Starling Marte is doing well in his recovery:
On Tuesday, Showalter met with the media down in Port St. Lucie and stated the following on Marte’s current status.
“So far, so good. We haven’t had anything come to our attention that doesn’t make us think he won’t start the season.”
Hearing Showalter make known their belief that Marte will be ready for the start of the 2023 regular season is music to all Mets fan’s ears. The report from three weeks ago was a shock that delivered some concern. But it seems as if all is trending in the right direction for one of the Mets’ best hitters.
Marte is coming off a strong first year with the Mets, in which he hit .292 (19th in MLB) and had a .814 OPS. He also had 16 home runs and 63 runs batted in despite playing in only 118 games. It was clear how much the Mets lineup missed Marte down the stretch of 2022.
In his second year with the Mets, big expectations will continue to be in place for Marte as a key piece to the lineup. Having him available to start the year is undoubtedly crucial for a Mets team with monumental aspirations.