Jesse

Winker

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Winker’s season is likely over. The 32-year-old hit the injured list in mid-July with back inflammation and has dealt with a couple setbacks during his rehabilitation process. It’s a hit to New York’s depth as Winker was a key component of last year’s postseason push.

This is a little surprising, since it rules Winker out through Sept. 9. The Mets, though, needed some room on the 40-man for Tyler Rogers. Winker last played on July 10 before going on the IL the next day with back inflammation. He’s given the Mets a .709 OPS in 26 games this season.

Winker left Thursday’s game against the Orioles with tightness in his back, and further testing revealed the inflammation. The 31-year-old will be out through the All-Star break at least, and then could be back — assuming no setbacks — near the end of July.

Winker left the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader because of the issue. Mark Vientos will probably get some additional playing time this weekend if Winker is unavailable.

Winker was pulled from the first game of Thursday’s twin bill due to tightness in his back. That was just a couple of days after a lengthy stint on the injured list with a strained oblique. It sounds like the 31-year-old outfielder could be heading right back to the injured list on Friday. If your team is counting on him for fantasy purposes, be sure to keep an eye on his status on Friday.

Winker was just activated off the injured list Tuesday, but this doesn’t appear to be related to the oblique strain that shelved him for over two months. The outfielder will likely sit out the second game of a doubleheader as well, and should be considered day-to-day for now.

This was hinted at by Mets manager Carlos Mendoza over the weekend and has now come to fruition. With Starling Marte dealing with a knee injury, the Mets could choose to use Winker (oblique) right away as a designated hitter against right-handed pitching. While we don’t yet know what the corresponding move is, we do know that Ronny Mauricio will not be sent down to Triple-A, so that gives him more chances to carve out playing time in 2025.

With fellow designated hitter Starling Marte battling some knee soreness, Winker may come up quickly for the Mets to fill that spot. He has been on the IL since early May with the oblique strain and is hitting just .239/.321/.418 in 24 games for the Mets this season. He doesn’t need to be added in any fantasy leagues right now, even if he does get called up.

Winker will get in one final minor league rehab contest on Sunday before returning to New York for Tuesday’s game at Camden Yards. The 31-year-old veteran DH has been out since early May recovering from a right oblique strain.

Winker has been shelved since the beginning of May due to a right oblique strain. He’s eligible to return from the injured list on July 4 and there’s a chance that if everything goes according to plan he could be ready at that time. It’s unclear who he would displace on the Mets’ current roster, but having too many quality options seems like a good problem for them to sort out.