Apr 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) reacts after he was called out on strikes to end the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The early onslaught of early Mets injuries is not slowing down, and Luis Robert Jr. is the latest victim.
The Mets placed the veteran center fielder on the 10-day injured list because of a lumbar spine disc herniation on Thursday, retroactive to Monday. He received an injection and will be down between seven and 10 days, then will be reevaluated.
“What they’re telling us is that this should be a short stint on the IL,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “A little after the 10 days, then we’ll get him back. We just have to wait and see how he responds to it.”
Robert had missed the last three games with Mendoza, initially described as lower back stiffness —an issue that came to light between games of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies.
Rookie outfielder Carson Benge, who is swinging a much better bat as he continues to adjust to life in the majors, should see the bulk of the time in center while Robert is absent. He was penciled into the lineup at that position for Thursday’s series finale against the Washington Nationals.
Robert had encountered his first significant struggles as a Met after a hot start to life in Queens following his trade from the Chicago White Sox over the winter. He was 5-for-his-last-38 (.131) over his last 10 games.
The injury bug has been something that has chased the 28-year-old throughout his MLB career. His last season of playing over 110 games was 2023, and the Mets took spring training notably slow with him in order to avoid any issues cropping up, particularly in his legs.
That, however, was only good enough to keep him on the field for the first five weeks of the season, as yet another prominent Met is down. Juan Soto missed 15 games earlier this month due to a strained calf, and Francisco Lindor is facing a more significant absence due to a more severe version of the same injury. Starting pitcher Kodai Senga was also placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday due to a back issue of his own.
For more on Luis Robert Jr. and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
