J.D. Martinez, the designated hitter who signed with the Mets during the final week of spring training, is set to make his debut on Friday for the first game of the team’s seven-game homestand. Martinez went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Tuesday night with Triple-A Syracuse. He will play one more minor league game on Wednesday, and if he comes out of the game without any soreness or setbacks, he will be in the lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night at Citi Field.
The Mets will determine a tentative schedule for Martinez to be able to work him into games without overloading him right away. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday at Oracle Park, “I’ll have a conversation with him, but out of the gate, I’m not going to run this guy and have him DH’ing every day.” “He’s going to need some days. I’ll sit down with him and put together a game plan here because he’s important. He’s too valuable to this team, and we’ve got to take care of him.”
The Mets and Martinez had initially hoped that he would be available earlier this month, but without going through spring training, he found that he was sore after playing games and suffered a setback with lower back tightness. A cortisone shot and a few days of rest helped Martinez get back into action, but it further delayed his debut.
When he does play, the Mets are planning to hit him fifth in the lineup to give cleanup hitter Pete Alonso some protection. With Francisco Alvarez out for the next two months, Martinez will help replace some of the power the Mets are now missing with their hard-hitting catcher.
“Sometimes when he was in Detroit and I was in Cleveland, I played against him a lot,” said Francisco Lindor. “We had really good pitchers, and in the first one, the first at-bat, he looked like he was almost getting to know the game plan of how they were going to attack him. And in the next at-bat, he would dominate.”
Hitting is a craft for Martinez, and it’s one he takes very seriously, studying the various elements of it and honing in on techniques used to elevate the ball and get it into the air. He’s also extremely knowledgeable and loves sharing his knowledge with other hitters. A 13-year veteran, the Mets hope the 36-year-old will be a good influence on other hitters in the clubhouse.
“I’ve heard that he’s a freak when it comes to hitting,” Lindor said. “I love that. I can’t wait to see how he goes about his business.”
In a separate roster move, left-hander Kolton Ingram was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers. The Mets designated him for assignment Saturday to make room for catcher Tomas Nido on the 40-man roster.
