Sep 29, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez (28) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
FLUSHING –The Mets need some help for their lineup and fast. But luckily for New York, J.D. Martinez is close to making his debut.
The slugger, who’s been getting at-bats without being in a game setting, is joining the A-ball St. Lucie Mets.
Martinez is hitting second for St. Lucie on Friday night.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before Friday’s game against the Reds in Cincinnati that Martinez will serve as the DH for St. Lucie on Friday and Saturday before a day off on Sunday.
Mendoza added that he doesn’t expect Martinez to suit up for the Mets in Cincinnati on Sunday, when he first becomes eligible to join the MLB roster, but said the designated hitter could debut during the subsequent four-game series in Atlanta next week, depending on how he’s feeling.
“He’s going to have a strong opinion on this,” Mendoza said. “He knows himself better than anybody else. His routine, and how detail-oriented he is, and the feel for his swings and mechanics and things like that, we’ll consider those things.”
The Mets signed Martinez to a one-year, $12 million contract in late March, ending his prolonged free agency about a month after teams reported to spring training.
Martinez, 36, was one of several big-name Scott Boras clients who settled for short-term contracts late in the offseason — a list also including the Giants’ Blake Snell and Matt Chapman; the Cubs’ Cody Bellinger; and the Diamondbacks’ Jordan Montgomery.
“There’s days where mechanics are off, timing is off. … This is a very meticulous guy,” Mendoza said. “He’s getting a ton of at-bats, and [according to] the feedback we’re getting, a lot of conditioning, he’s moving in the right direction.”
Martinez figures to add a veteran presence to the middle of a Mets lineup — hitting directly behind Pete Alonso.
The Mets’ decision on whether to make Martinez available in Atlanta will probably depend on how he looks and feels during his at-bats in the minors. Whenever he’s ready, he will take over as the Mets’ everyday designated hitter, pushing DJ Stewart to a bench role.
“You look at weather,” Mendoza said. “You look at potential rainouts and things like that. You don’t want to miss any days. You want to keep him in warm weather. It’s a combination of a lot of things, but at the end of the day, as long as he’s getting at-bats and he’s running the bases, it’s more like real games now.”
