Apr 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio (0) throws out Athletics third baseman Max Muncy after fielding a ground ball during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The Mets have optioned Ronny Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for veteran outfielder Tommy Pham.
In need of an offensive spark amidst a five-game losing streak that featured a pair of shutout losses to the Athletics, including a dreadful 1-0 result on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, the Mets are turning to the 38-year-old, who collected just two hits in 12 at-bats (five games) with Single-A St. Lucie.
Pham, who spent a part of the 2023 season in Queens, posted a .700 OPS with 10 home runs and 52 RBI in 120 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, which doesn’t suggest a game-changing sort of addition to the lineup. But they are desperate with Juan Soto shelved for at least another week due to a strained calf. They have been held to two or fewer runs in four of their last five games.
“You just gotta stay consistent,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You gotta stay positive with the guys. There’s a lot of good hitters here, and this is just a bad stretch. You have to continue to trust the players there. They’re really good, and you have to continue to work with them.”
Pham enters a significantly crowded corner-outfield picture. New York already has Tyrone Taylor, Carson Benge, Brett Baty, and Jared Young in the mix.
Mauricio was initially called up last week to provide infield insurance with Baty, who is a backup option at second and third base, dealing with a jammed thumb, and first baseman Jorge Polanco fighting through an Achilles issue. He was told from the start that at-bats were going to be limited with the big club, and they were. Mauricio recorded just four at-bats in his week with the Mets, his lone hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning of Tuesday’s win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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