Marcus Semien playing second game of Wednesday DH

You’d be hard-pressed to find a less valuable player than Semien this season. The Mets only mustered two measly singles and one walk against Chris Sale and the Braves’ bullpen here, but Semien was a special kind of lost. He struck out three times and only saw 11 total pitches on his way to doing so. He probably deserves to lose playing time down the stretch with just a .620 OPS this season plus some awful defensive metrics.

Ewing has hit leadoff in all but one game since July 6, starting against all four lefties the Mets have faced in that stretch. The rookie outfielder is now 14-for-20 on the bases this year, but he’s converted six in a row after an inefficient start. Ewing continues to look like a long-term building block for New York and will likely get all the playing time he can handle over the season’s final two months.

The Mets likely only want Robert Jr. to play in one game of the doubleheader, thanks to his checkered injury history, so they will opt to play him in Game 2 against left-hander Chris Sale. Tyrone Taylor will start in left field and bat seventh.

Semien’s home run was his 12th of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Braves reliever Connor Thomas in the sixth inning. Semien has five runs scored, three home runs and six RBI over his last five games. The second baseman who turns 36 in September is hitting .214 with a .620 OPS and 35 RBI in his first season with the Mets.

Benge takes a seat with Tyrone Taylor in left field and fellow rookie A.J. Ewing in the opposite corner. The 23-year-old has hit a bit of a rough patch since the All-Star break, hitting .200 (6-for-30) with one extra-base hit and 10 strikeouts during that eight-game span.

Soto declined to offer a definitive return timetable after hitting the injured list with a Grade 2 left calf strain over the weekend. The 27-year-old fantasy stalwart is expected to miss at least three weeks, which makes it unlikely he’ll return to New York’s lineup until at least late August. It’ll be rookie A.J. Ewing playing everyday in left field during his absene. There should be a clearer timeline from the Mets once Soto is cleared to resume baseball activities in the next few weeks. For the moment, fantasy managers should anticipate Soto playing again this season.

Ewing has been the team’s leadoff hitter in all but one game since July 6. The Mets are committed to building around him and fellow rookie Carson Benge, so this role should last through the August 3 deadline sell-off. Ewing had been off to a slow start in the second half, but he’s held his own overall as a 21-year-old rookie. The 11 stolen bases are nice, but he’s been caught six times. He’d ideally clean up that efficiency over the season’s final two months.

Semien’s homer came in the seventh inning and gave the club some insurance runs. It has been a brutal season at the plate for the 35-year-old, who was acquired over the offseason for Brandon Nimmo. He’s off the fantasy radar heading into the final two months of the regular season.

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.

The Mets can’t seem to catch a break. Soto winds up requiring a trip to the injured list with a left calf issue for the second time this season after suffering the injury during Friday’s showdown against the Dodgers. New York’s interim skipper Andy Green told reporters Soto has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain that will keep him out for at least three weeks, if not longer. Simply put, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back until at least mid-to-late August or early September. The 27-year-old generational talent has put together another borderline elite fantasy campaign, slashing .283/.408/.539 with 46 runs scored, 21 homers, 52 RBI and seven steals in 359 plate appearances through 84 games. His absence kicks the door wide open for rookie A.J. Ewing to play everyday in left field.