The Mets had to roll without third baseman Mark Vientos on Sunday thanks to some groin discomfort he picked up during Saturday’s game. He left early after making a pretty athletic play, and while he’s already feeling better, Brett Baty took his spot at third and went hitless in the team’s 7-4 win over the Cardinals.

Vientos hasn’t been lighting it up so far this season—he’s batting just .167—but he did hit homers on back-to-back days recently. Last year was a different story, though. He had a breakout season in 2024 and crushed it in the playoffs.

There’s better news on the injury front: Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil are both inching closer to rejoining the team. They’ll be at Citi Field on Monday for evaluations but are likely headed back to the minors briefly to finish their rehab. Alvarez (coming off hand surgery) and McNeil (oblique strain) both looked solid in their latest Double-A outings—McNeil especially, going 4-for-4 with a homer.

Pitcher Paul Blackburn is also progressing in his recovery, tossing two innings in a rehab game over the weekend. Mets start a new series Monday against the Phillies, so we’ll see soon who’s back in action.