Mets recall Nick Morabito from Triple-A

He’s sitting against LHP Tugboat Wilkinson. When the Mets lost Luis Robert Jr. on waivers the assumption was that Ewing’s playing time would be safe, but Nick Morabito is manning center field for the platoon advantage. Since the start of August, Ewing is hitting .168/.242/.212 with no homers and eight stolen bases.

Morabito was called back up this week after the Mets waived Luis Robert Jr. and he finally notched his first career hit. He spent a few days up the the club early this season, but didn’t break through until his three-run double here which gave the Mets some valuable insurance. He’ll likely be operating more as their fourth outfielder, but is a pesky hitter who has the speed to steal bases should he get the opportunities to do so.

Jared Young’s activation off the injured list comes at the expense of the 23-year-old’s major league roster spot. Morabito did not record a hit in 12 plate appearances, striking out nine times and getting caught stealing on his only attempt. He’ll see if he can turn it around in Syracuse.

Soto missed Sunday’s game while feeling under the weather, and the 27-year-old will get another day off Monday. Nick Morabito will patrol left field with Carson Benge operating as the designated hitter while Soto recovers.

Morabito will get a breather after being involved in a couple collisions with the left-field walls at Nationals Park during his big-league debut on Tuesday night. He nearly made a spectacular catch to rob James Wood at the left-field wall, but it wound up glancing off his glove and going for an inside-the-park home run. He also made a phenomenal grab where he reached into the seats in foul territory while colliding with the low wall down the left-field line line. Did we mention that he was also hit by a pitch in the knee during that contest? There was a lot going on as Morabito finished 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. It’ll be Juan Soto back in left field with A.J. Ewing in center field in this one.

The move is now official. Morabito joins fellow rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing as part of New York’s new-look outfield mix. The 23-year-old offers a bit of power and speed, but he projects as more of a versatile fourth outfielder long-term. He makes sense in a bench role for the Mets as they try to navigate a bizarre, injury-plagued season. He’s in left field and hitting seventh against the Nationals in his major-league debut on Tuesday night.

Morabito will be the third rookie outfielder on the Mets’ roster, joining A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge. The 23-year-old Morabito is the 11th-ranked prospect in the Mets’ system. He can play all three outfield positions, and was slashing .253/.364/.390 in 41 games at Triple-A with four home runs and 14 steals. He also looked good in the Arizona Fall League after last season, posting a .914 OPS in 80 plate appearances. Unlike Ewing and Benge, Morabito is unlikely to step into a big role. He will most likely start against some left-handed pitchers and can also be used as a defensive replacement in the outfield.

Not great. With MJ Melendez off to a bad start, Nick Morabito would seem to be the likely choice to come up from Triple-A Syracuse if Soto requires an IL stint. Soto left Friday’s game in the first inning after pulling up while running from first to third on a single.

Here’s the first of many 40-man roster additions, designed to protect Rule 5 eligible players from being selected in next month’s draft, that will take place across the league today. Morabito, a 2022 second-round pick, hit .273/.348/.385 with six homers and 40 steals for Double-A Binghamton last season. He’s probably not a future regular in the majors, but if he continues making gains defensively, he’ll be a nice bench option.