Reese Kaplan -- The Deck Gets Shuffled As Season Draws to an End

It came as a bit of a surprise for the Mets to make plans to promote Luisangel Acuna who had a bit of a struggle in his AAA season in Syracuse.  The glove was always there, the legs were dynamic and the power was off and on.  The family name pushes the potential expectation for All Star level output.  Given the Mets lineup with Mark Vientos at 3B, Francisco Lindor at SS and Jose Iglesias covering 2B for the injured Jeff McNeil it didn’t appear as if there would be much room for Acuna to get into games.

Of course, that decision to elevate Acuna for his first taste of the majors happened to coincide with Lindor back injury that saw him leaving the Friday victory early.  With Eddy Alvarez the only other viable middle infielder on the roster, it all of the sudden made sense to see how Acuna could handle during this final two week stretch to make it to the postseason.

In his rookie game appearance you really couldn’t have asked for anything more.  Acuna got two hits in four at-bats while Iglesias remained at second base where he’s been playing regularly.  While no one expects Acuna to provide Gold Glove defense nor 30/30 offense and 100 RBIs, he did show in a one game audition he is indeed seemingly ready for the Show even if the circumstances of his arrival were more about the injury to Lindor than a compelling desire to see him play in perhaps half of the remaining games.

Actually, when the club started off with a 4-0 lead and they received multi-hit games not just for Acuna but also from Marte and Vientos it certainly seemed as if a second victory against the first place Philadelphia Phillies was a distinct possiiblity.  Luis Severino didn’t throw his best game but left with the club ahead.  

Unfortunately relying on second tier relief pitchers didn’t work to preserve the win and the Mets thus far have split the first two games.  By the time you have read this piece the Sunday afternoon game will have come and gone.  With it is no longer a question of the Mets knocking Bryce Harper and company out of first place but rather if the Mets will be joining them by landing a wildcard slot.

From all Francisco Lindor had to say on his first missed game of 2024 he appears ready to play as much as possible as the Mets continue to claw their way towards the playoffs.  It doesn’t sound as if he is planning to take more time off, but a second game on the bench while remaining available as a pinch hitter in a critical situation might be the more prudent approach.  After all, a lot of things can go right and go wrong in the two remaining weeks of the season.

For now it’s a nervous waiting game to see what the hitters, pitchers, runners and fielders can do to stay just slightly ahead of their competitors while at the same time the Mets must focus on the outputs from the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres to determine which three of the four horseman gallop into October and which one takes a slow, solitary stroll into the off season.