The New York Mets’ injury struggles in 2024 have been well documented. However, what has gotten less attention is the fact that those injury woes have trickled down within the organization. One of the more enormous blows was losing a top prospect to a hamstring issue, but now he has begun his rehab assignment.
Mets prospect Drew Gilbert makes first rehab appearance
The Mets No. 3 prospect and No. 39 overall, according to MLB.com, Drew Gilbert, made his first rehab appearance on Thursday, playing five innings in center field for the Florida Complex League Mets while going 0-for-2 at the dish with a walk.
Gilbert has been out of action since April 7 after suffering a hamstring issue and has undergone numerous setbacks during his recovery. The Minnesota native slashed .240/.321/.360 across seven games with one home run and one RBI for Triple-A Syracuse before the injury.
The 23-year-old was one of the main pieces in the Justin Verlander trade last summer and was ranked as the No.1 prospect in the Houston Astros system.
Gilbert slashed .289/.381/.487 across 116 games last season with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs between two levels of the minor leagues, finishing the season with Double-A Binghamton.
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Could Gilbert make the jump to the majors this season?
While an exciting thought, the likelihood of Gilbert making his major league debut in 2024 is doubtful.
The Mets outfield room is incredibly crowded with Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader, and Starling Marte locked in as the starters, while Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart have acted as their backups/ injury fill-ins. Not to mention Ben Gamel, who has recently been called up to the big leagues.
Combine that with the fact that the 23-year-old has only seven games of experience at the Triple-A level, and a 2024 debut seems even less likely.
