The New York Mets had one of their 2022 All-Stars, right fielder Starling Marte play for the first time in preseason action this afternoon.
It has been a tough last six months for Marte. He missed the end of the 2022 regular season for the Mets with a finger injury. Then, in the offseason, he had to get core muscle surgery. As a result, he had not played in any exhibition ball for the Mets up until today.
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New York Mets’ Starling Marte reminds everyone how great he is in two ABs:
In just his first game of 2023 Spring Training, Marte reminded everyone of how great he is. He batted third in the lineup and had two at-bats in this afternoon’s game. Marte went 2-2 with a two-run homer.
His first at-bat came in the bottom of the first inning. Marte got one right over the plate, fairly up, and hit a line drive down the left field line that hit the wall. It ended up in a double.
His next at-bat came in the bottom of the third inning. Marte, again, got one right over the middle of the plate and took advantage. Only this time, he sent it the distance. Marte got under it and crushed a home run into left-center field. It was a two-run homer that had a 106.8 MPH exit velocity and was driven 395 feet.
After his terrific day, Marte met with the media and stated the following on how he feels and how he expects to be by Opening Day.
“I feel good, but I’m not at 100% right now. … I think for Opening Day I’ll be at 100%. Now that I’ve already started playing, I know that I’m starting to ramp up, it’s slowly, just take it day by day. As I get stronger, as my body gets stronger throughout the next couple of weeks I should be ready for Opening Day at 100%.”
Certainly, an encouraging update from Marte briefly after a fantastic first Spring Training game. Marte is coming off a year, his first with the Mets, in which he hit .292, had 16 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a .814 OPS in 118 games. This lineup needs his consistency from a contact standpoint. For Marte to once again reassure that he expects to be fully healthy by Opening Day is thrilling news for all Mets fans.