Starling Marte injury update: Mets outfielder activated off IL, returns to tight NL wild-card race

Marte missed almost two months with a bone bruise in his right knee

By R.J. Anderson Aug 18, 2024 at 9:50 am ET• 1 min read

The New York Mets activated veteran outfielder Starling Marte from the injured list on Sunday, paving the way for him to make his first appearance since June 22. He's in the lineup batting fifth and playing right field. In a corresponding move to clear space on the active roster, the Mets designated fellow outfielder Ben Gamel for assignment.

Marte, 35, missed nearly two months on account of a bone bruise in his right knee. In 66 games prior to his IL stint, he hit .278/.328/.416 (112 OPS+) with seven home runs, 30 runs batted in, and 12 stolen bases on 12 attempts. Marte's contributions had been worth an estimated 0.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations housed at Baseball Reference.

Recently, the Mets have relied on an outfield combination that included Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader, and trade acquisition Jesse Winker. Winker, it should be noted, has scuffled since coming over from the Washington Nationals. In 14 games with the Mets, he's batted .289/.319/.333 (88 OPS+) with two extra-base hits; for comparison, he hit .257/.374/.419 (128 OPS+) in 101 games with the Nationals.

Gamel, 32, made 18 appearances with the Mets. He hit .217/.400/.261 (96 OPS+) with a run batted in and a stolen base. The Mets now have a week to place Gamel on outright or release waivers. It's worth noting that he has more than six years of major-league service time, meaning that he could reject any outright assignment in favor of becoming a free agent.