Starling Marte just continues to give reasons for optimism that he will be ready for Opening Day. The New York Mets lineup obviously needs him desperately. And he keeps on providing encouraging things.
Marte, who had to undergo surgery in November, had an unknown status for the start of the regular season just as recently as a few weeks ago. But on Thursday, Marte made a key step in the right direction, enjoying his first live batting practice of Spring Training.
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Starling Marte takes first live batting practice for the Mets:
The initial report came from Andy Martino. He shared that Marte was scheduled to take live batting practice on the field in Port St. Lucie. Martino stated that this looks to be a good sign for the Mets 2022 All-Star as he is “progressing on pace.”
Lastly, the Mets know Marte’s spring schedule and when he will work himself into his first game, and that there is “not much concern”. SNY did note that Marte is a little bit behind a lot of Mets players in camp, but most importantly, is looking good for Opening Day. For the most part, terrific updates on Marte.
In his press conference, Buck Showalter stated this on Marte’s upcoming availability.
“Yeah, we’ve got a date that talking to him, talking to everybody from a medical background, we’ve got a date that we think he’ll be playing in games. Don’t want to get out there publicly with it yet and if it’s a day early or a day late. … Getting some input from him, too. … We’re happy with his progression. He’s on schedule.”
Shortly after Martino’s report, Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated shared a video of Marte getting some batting practice reps.
Ultimately, what is most important is how Marte feels. A few days ago, he stated that he was surprised that he needed surgery to begin with. However, Marte did say that he is healthy now.
All great news with Marte up until this point. Taking live batting practice for the first time is a convincing step in the right direction. The Mets simply need one of their most consistent contact bats to begin the 2023 regular season.