Apr 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) reacts after striking out in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
QUEENS, NY — Andy Green did not mince his sentiments when asked about where Mark Vientos potentially fits into the Mets down the stretch as he nears a return from a fractured wrist that has kept him out since July 10.
“I don’t know,” Green responded.
There is no abundance of spots for the first/third baseman and DH to latch onto when he gets back. Third baseman Bo Bichette’s been consistently good for more than two months; Jared Young has done well to secure time at first base, with Christopher Morel getting looks against lefties.
The DH spot remains a revolving door, whether it be Morel, Eric Wagaman, catchers Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens, or Brett Baty getting looks. Juan Soto will also get some DH days once he gets back from a strained calf.
Green nor the Mets seem too motivated to shuffle things around for Vientos given how the 26-year-old has struggled this season. He is batting .211 with a .644 OPS, 11 home runs, and 35 RBI — a far cry from the up-and-comer who mashed 27 home runs in 111 games two years ago.
“I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs,” Green said. “Still think there’s a very bright future out there for him if he wants to go grab hold of it. That’s on him. When he gets back in the box, take advantage of the at-bats you do get, and prove you deserve more at-bats… He has all the talent that he possessed in ’24 when he was hitting close to 30 home runs and didn’t even start the season with the big league club. It’s all right there. It’s on him for that to come out. We certainly want to see it come out. It’s not going to be a perfectly laid path for him when he does come back.”
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