One of the Mets’ top remaining prospects in the minors, Ronny Mauricio, will be undergoing an MRI on his ankle, as first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The 22-year-old suffered the injury last Sunday in a Triple-A game following a collision at second base. He missed three days because of it but worked his way back into the lineup. After a 2-for-16 struggle, he was out of Syracuse’s lineup on Sunday.
Regardless of his recent struggles, Mauricio continues piecing together a monster season in Triple-A. In 60 games, he’s slashing .320/.360/.884 (1.244 OPS) with eight home runs and 35 RBI.
It’s made him an obvious candidate to get a call-up to the majors ahead of the Mets’ Subway Series matchup against the Yankees, as Heyman speculated, but SNY’s Andy Martino reported that it’s currently not an option.
A natural shortstop, the left side of the infield is blocked for Mauricio at the MLB level with Francisco Lindor and another recent call-up, Brett Baty, in place. With Jeff McNeil at second base — another position that Mauricio took up this season to open up options to the big leagues — the Mets have begun assimilating the youngster to left field.
Should Mauricio’s imaging come back negative, though, it certainly feels like it’s a matter of time before he does get the call. The Mets are desperate for consistent offense and with Pete Alonso out for three to four weeks, an influx of power is necessary.
The Mets haven’t been shy in calling up the kids, which is uncommon for a team managed by Buck Showalter. But for a team that’s already called up Baty, Francisco Alvarez, and Mark Vientos, the organization is inching toward desperation mode. They’re four games under .500 and rank 17th in the majors in runs scored.
