When a veteran struggles to replicate the production of the player he was traded for, he’s likely going to be scrutinized — especially in a big market.
For the Mets, Marcus Semien fits that bill.
Semien, whom the Mets acquired for Brandon Nimmo from the Rangers this offseason, was hitting just .204 entering Sunday’s game against the Dodgers.
But after hitting a homer Sunday, Semien broke through in the Mets’ 14-3 thrashing of the Braves on Monday, recording three hits and a home run that put his team up for good in the sixth inning.
“I think he’s really competed incredibly well,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “He is impressive from a professionalism standpoint. He does absolutely everything you could do to get ready to win a baseball game.
“I had multiple people tell me yesterday how he was preparing on the bench to come in, didn’t get the start, but he was doing absolutely everything to be ready for a big at-bat. It was a huge three-run homer for us yesterday. It’s nice to see people who do everything right experience success, and he earns everything he gets.”
Fans have been calling for Semien’s head all season. They’ve peppered Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns with blame for trading a homegrown talent and decade-long Met in Nimmo for Semien.
Along with Freddy Peralta, Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco, Semien has been one of several offseason acquisitions that haven’t panned out for the Mets, as his average hasn’t been over .230 since May.
Yet Semien, who won a World Series with the Rangers in 2023, showed Monday that he may have something left in the tank — even if it likely won’t matter for the Mets this season.
Semien started his night with a second-inning single before hitting a two-run blast in the sixth to put the Mets up 5-3.
With the Mets up 9-3 in the eighth, Semien singled to center before eventually scoring on Francisco Lindor’s three-run home run.
The 35-year-old also drew a walk in what was his first three-hit game since notching four hits against the Rockies on May 6.
Semien said changes to his hitting approach recently have revolved around one key thing: timing.
“I’m just trying to slow the ball down,” Semien said. “I felt like [I was] a little late on fastballs. Everything for me starts with the fastball. If you’re late on the fastball, you’re going to rush on the off-speed chase.
“Just trying to make the ball look as slow as possible so you can control the strike zone.”
