In dire need of a spark within their lineup, the Mets have a major reinforcement on the way in JD Martinez.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers that the 36-year-old slugger could join the team as soon as Sunday, which would be its series finale in Cincinnati against the Reds (h/t Laura Albanese, Newsday)
Martinez is currently working through an abbreviated spring training in Port St. Lucie, FL after signing a one-year, $12 million deal with the Mets one week before the start of the 2024 season.
He recorded a pair of hits, including a double, during a simulated game on Tuesday.
The 2018 World Series winner’s bat will provide invaluable pop in the middle of a New York lineup that has struggled mightily to start the 2024 season. They have scored just four runs across their first eight games of the season — three of which featured one run or fewer.
Last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez slashed .271/.321/.572 (.893 OPS) with 33 home runs and 103 RBI, albeit in a lineup that featured far more support around him. In Queens, he will be tasked with providing a steady presence from a designated hitter spot that has given the NL East club fits since it was introduced into the National League where he will bat behind Pete Alonso in the cleanup spot.
“When we get him, it’s going to be a lot deeper lineup,” Mendoza said on Opening Day. “A right-handed bat that I’m going to pencil in right behind Pete. That’s no secret.”
