20 July 2023
With Starling Marte out of the lineup once again with his second migraine headache of the week, the Mets may need to make a roster decision.
The right fielder missed his third game since Saturday with a migraine Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. He hasn’t been available off the bench and likely won’t be for a few days. The 34-year-old has dealt with severe migraines in the past but two in the span of only a few days gives the Mets some cause for concern.
“He’s had them before, but not this close [together],” manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday before the Mets hosted the Chicago White Sox in the second game of a three-game series. “That’s why we’re going to do some tests and do some things to rule out some things.”
Marte, who saw specialists Wednesday to try to determine the cause of the headaches, spent much of the last few days vomiting, and while the training staff is doing all they can to keep fluids in him, he’s still considered “too weak” to play for the next day or two. However, the team didn’t completely rule out using him off the bench against Chicago.
“He’d have to make some improvements,” Showalter said. “He can talk without squinting. I mean, it’s not like he’s sensitive to light and noise at this point. He’s a lot better but you can tell he’s weak from he’s been vomiting and not able to hold anything down. It’s kind of irritating to the lining of the stomach.”
The team is considering putting him on the injured list, but that would mean losing him for 10 days. The 10-day injured list is the shortest option for non-concussive injuries. In addition, Marte’s partner is due to give birth to the couple’s child later this month. With the Mets still trying to make a run before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, they don’t to be without an important player like Marte for too long.
“I don’t think we’re there yet,” Showalter said of an injured list move. “I’m just going to get the information from the specialists who are looking at him today.”
The second year of a four-year contract has been much more difficult than the first for Marte. He underwent double hernia surgery over the winter and has dealt with limited mobility and soreness in his groin this season. However, a strength and flexibility routine has helped and Marte has been looking more like himself at the plate as of late.
After hitting just .217 with a .288 OBP in his first 33 games, he’s gone 52-for-187 (.278) in his last 51.
“I know it’s been fashionable I’m sure for people to critique him and it’s part of the gig, but this guy had double hernia surgery, he had a borderline concussion at third base he’s got a lot of things physically,” Showalter said. “We just want to make sure that he is OK because sometimes these things, from what I understand, can be triggered by something else.”
STRIKE OUT CANCER
With the White Sox in town this week, right-hander Carlos Carrasco teamed up with fellow cancer survivor Liam Hendriks to host pediatric cancer patients from Cohen Children’s Medical Center as part of his Cookie’s Kids program. A group of kids were given a tour of Citi Field and met with Carrasco and Hendriks, the Chicago closer. The group also received tickets to a future Mets game.
NEW OFFERINGS
The Mets introduced a new burger from Shake Shack on Wednesday, the Bases Loaded BBQ burger. It’s available exclusively at Citi Field.
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