Luis Robert Jr. (back) homers in Double-A contest

It’s the second time this week that Robert has found himself on the bench as the Mets ease him back into a full-time workload following a lengthy stay on the injured list. A.J. Ewing will slide over and cover center field while Tyrone Taylor starts in left field and will bat seventh for the Mets against Dodgers’ right-hander Emmet Sheehan.

With Luis Robert Jr. off the injured list, there was an expectation that the Mets would rotate through their outfielders, but Robert Jr. is on the bench for this one too. Brett Baty will start in right field, which will allow Jorge Polanco to DH and Marcus Semien to play second base. There will be a logjam at certain positions over the next week or so until the Mets can trade some players away.

Robert laced a 451-foot moon shot in the eighth inning that left the bat at 112.2 mph. It was his only hit in the two games since coming off the injured list with a lumbar spine disk herniation, but it was also a good reminder of the loud, raw tools that the 28-year-old possesses. The Mets are likely going to play Robert Jr. regularly over the next couple of weeks in the hopes of being able to trade him at the deadline and free up regular outfield starts for rookies Carson Benge and AJ Ewing.

Mets interim manager Andy Green said earlier this week that Ewing will shuffle between a couple outfield spots since he has experience doing that recently with Luis Robert Jr. handling center field exclusively now that he’s back from the injured list. The 21-year-old rookie has been an impactful fantasy contributor right out of the gate this season, hitting .271/.343/.425 with seven homers and 10 steals in 241 plate appearances across 61 games.

Robert Jr. has been on the injured list with a lumbar spine disk herniation since late April. He’s played in 24 games for the Mets, slashing .224/.327/.329 with two home runs and two steals. The Mets will likely trey to get Robert Jr. in the lineup often over the next two weeks to help facilitate a trade. That could cost A.J. Ewing at bats in the short-term or, perhaps more likely, one of the extra outfielders could slide to DH with Jorge Polanco heading to the bench.

Robert figures to be getting close to returning to New York’s outfield mix following his seventh rehab contest in the upper minors since June 30. The 28-year-old is likely going to split time with rookie standout A.J. Ewing in center field and could easily wind up on the move before next month’s trade deadline. He played just 24 games before hitting the injured list with lumbar spin disk herniation in late April.

Perhaps more importantly, Robert Jr. played five innings in center field. He’s not able to DH since fellow rehabber Jorge Polanco (Achilles) is there, so the Mets are going to build Robert Jr. up to full games in center field and then have him try to play back-to-back games out there before bringing him back. We assume the Mets are still likely to be cautious with his workload once he does return to big league action, but there’s a chance that the team could have him back in the lineup at some point next week.

Robert has been on the shelf with a herniated disc in his back since late April. The 28-year-old center fielder’s impending return will complicate New York’s outfield mix, especially since rookie A.J. Ewing has been tearing the cover off the ball recently. The logical move would be to allow Juan Soto to get some extra time at DH with Ewing and fellow rookie Carson Benge in the outfield corners once he’s back. He’ll likely require at least a week or two of minor league at-bats to get back up to speed following the lengthy layoff. The durability concerns aren’t going away, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Robert were an impactful fantasy contributor during the second half based on his raw talent and track record.

Mendoza added that Robert still needs to ramp up his running progression before he’s cleared to return. The 28-year-old center fielder will require a bit of an extended minor league rehab assignment since he’s been on the shelf with a herniated disc in his back since late April. It sounds like there’s a decent chance he’s back at some point in July.

Robert mentioned on Thursday that he’s been following the trainers’ plan and had “been able to do a little bit of everything, just slowly.” The centerfielder said that, if everything progresses well this week he thinks he’ll “be able to start running out on the field.” Obviously, if he begins running next week, he still has a ways to go to work up to swinging and facing live pitching and then a rehab assignment. It’s unlikely he comes back before August at the earliest.