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PITTSBURGH — Mark Vientos’ return from the injured list Friday wasn’t enough to dislodge a rookie infielder from his roster spot.
Ronny Mauricio found himself in a delicate position due to the Mets having many options in the infield and the necessity of ensuring he gets consistent playing time following his absence last season as he recovered from several knee surgeries.
But the club instead chose to option Jared Young to Triple-A Syracuse.
Despite the Mets’ disappointing 9-1 defeat to the Pirates, Mauricio, who was playing as the second baseman, may have secured his place on the team by performing well with a 5-for-13 streak in the three games prior.
He was 1-for-3, including 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, with a walk and a strikeout on Friday.
Carlos Mendoza started Vientos (0-for-4 with two strikeouts) as the DH, with Brett Baty (2-for-4) at third base.
The manager remains hopeful that Mauricio will still have opportunities for playing time, considering his current stats of .226/.273/.403, including three home runs and 21 strikeouts in 62 at-bats at the start of the season.
“Keeping a guy like Mauricio that can provide some type of versatility, the way he has been playing of late, we feel there’s going to be enough at-bats for him to keep him on the roster,” Mendoza said. “Brett Baty continues to play well, so we just feel like we are better as of right now with the way the roster is constructed.”
Young, who served as left-handed DH, owned a .171/.227/.415 slash line with three homers and four RBIs in 41 at-bats.
Jeff McNeil’s adaptation to playing center field has created opportunities for Mauricio at second base.
Mauricio also can play third and shortstop.
“Our goal is to win baseball games but also understanding that we have a lot of young players that need development,” Mendoza said, noting that Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña were optioned to Syracuse in the past week. “As long as we feel there’s going to be at-bats and some playing time for them, we are comfortable.”
Lefty reliever Richard Lovelady rejected an outright to Syracuse and became a free agent.
Lovelady was signed Monday and appeared in one game for the Mets.
Austin Warren was optioned to Syracuse for a fresh arm in the bullpen after pitching 2 ¹/₃ shutout innings in relief Thursday against the Braves.
The Mets recalled lefty reliever Colin Poche.
José Azócar signed a minor league contract with the Mets and will report to Syracuse.