The New York Mets are in a significant portion of their schedule at the moment.
They lost the series in Philadelphia to the Phillies over the weekend, and there’s a real sense of urgency now as the team looks to stay on top of the National League East standings entering a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves.
A few roster moves involving some of the team’s young stars signifies how important this stretch is for the Mets.
Mets Send Luisangel Acuna to Triple-A Syracuse but Give More Time to Mark Vientos
After announcing the somewhat surprising demotion of catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets announced that infielder Luisangel Acuña is also heading back to the minor leagues. Acuña provided an impressive sample size in 14 games in 2024, hitting .308 with a .966 OPS.
Two straight nights with a home run for Luisangel Acuña! 💣💣 pic.twitter.com/czjd69LWAD
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 19, 2024
However, he’s seen a noteworthy decline this season. He does have 11 stolen bases, but otherwise, has not provided much production on his way to a .241 average and .576 OPS. He’s hitting the ball on the ground 56.1% of the time, which helps explains why he’s yet to hit a home run yet this season. Combine that with his .293 on-base percentage, and it’s clear that Acuña has some adjustments to make.
With the Mets in a tight division race, they don’t have the patience for Acuña to play through his struggles, which is also the reason Alvarez is now with the Triple-A club. The Mets called up outfielder Travis Jankowski to take their open major-league roster spot.
GRAND SLAM. TRAVIS JANKOWSKI. pic.twitter.com/xG5167ERw2
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) June 20, 2025
Jankowski is in his 11th MLB season, and this is his third stint with the Mets. He has split time in the majors this season with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .244 with a couple of runs batted in over 21 games.
He signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on June 10 and hit .200 with a home run, two RBI, and two stolen bases at Triple-A Syracuse. Jankowski brings excellent speed and defense.
Mets fans are waiting patiently for third baseman Mark Vientos to return, and more importantly, to look like the hitter who shined in the postseason last year. It appears he will get a few more minor-league at-bats before his rehab assignment ends. Vientos was placed on the injured list a few weeks ago with a strained right hamstring.
Mark Vientos clears the bases and ties the game!!! pic.twitter.com/l3gzCcR1dH
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) June 20, 2025
He’s currently hitting .118 with three RBI on his rehab assignment, which may explain why the Mets are being patient. Even before the injury, Vientos was hitting .230 with a career-low 90.7 mph exit velocity and a noticeable decline against fastballs. The Mets need Vientos to find his form again if they want to reach the World Series.