The Mets are planning to get Jorge Polanco plenty of at-bats over the next month in the wake of Juan Soto’s left calf strain.
Interim manager Andy Green said Polanco will get the bulk of the designated hitter reps moving forward and even suggested he may play some first base at some point.
“We’re still trying to get him back on the field and into rhythm,” Green said before the Mets fell to the Dodgers 4-3 in Queens. “In the last week, Juan’s obviously taken quite a few of the DH at-bats, and I think that’s kind of stunted [Polanco’s] ability to find some rhythm. He’s a guy we believe a lot in. And then hopefully as time goes on, we’ll get him to first base and we’ll see how the DH at-bats get divided up at that point.”
Brought in during the offseason to help replace Pete Alonso, Polanco has been a major disappointment.
He missed a ton of time with left Achilles bursitis and a right wrist contusion and hasn’t produced at all offensively.
Since coming off the IL in early July, Polanco is 4-for-35 (.114).
On the season, he is slashing a dreadful .156/.208/.233 with a .441 OPS in 24 games.
The strikeouts are piling up for A.J. Ewing.
He fanned twice Saturday night and has now whiffed 16 times in the past nine games.
The rookie outfielder is also in a 3-for-22 (.136) skid.
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“Him getting back to what his strength is, which is dominating the strike zone, [is important]. When he first showed up, it was laying off pitches outside the zone,” Green said. “It’s really easy when you get into a situation where you’re striking out more than you’re comfortable doing, to just feel like you have to swing, which typically makes it worse. He’s going to punch back, and he is going to be fine.”
Clay Holmes will throw a bullpen session Sunday.
The Mets will determine his next step after that. Holmes threw 51 pitches in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.
Mets great David Wright was in attendance for the game. … Eric Wagaman was called up from Syracuse to replace Soto on the active roster.
