Mets' Polanco To Undergo Surgery; Likely To Miss Rest Of Season

As if this season hasn’t brought enough grief for the New York Mets, it now appears that infielder Jorge Polanco will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the 2026 campaign. The news comes at the tail end of Polanco’s brutal first season in Queens.

New York brought Polanco in on a $40 million, two-year deal to take over first base, but that plan crumbled quickly. Polanco has only manned first base twice since joining the club, appearing instead mostly as a designated hitter.

His injury struggles have come from left ankle bursitis, which has continued to cause pain for Polanco. Now, he’ll go back on the injured list to undergo surgery in hopes of taking care of that pain once and for all.

“He’s battled all year,” interim manager Andy Green told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s gotten to the point where he just can’t get freedom from the pain… It’s at a point now where surgery is actually his best option, and that’s the direction we’re headed with this to alleviate this in expectation of a great 2027 for him.”

While the news of surgery is a bummer for Polanco and the Mets, it is the right one. Obviously, as Polanco is now, he is unable to produce as he typically would. With such a hindrance on his value, the only move to make is to address the bursitis once and for all and look ahead to the 2027 campaign.

Perhaps the decision would be different if New York were in the midst of a postseason race, but they remain in last place in the National League East after a hugely disappointing season. There is no reason to continue putting Polanco in the lineup with immense pain and minimal production. Surgery is the correct choice.

After a 2.5 bWAR in 2025, Polanco has earned a negative -1.4 bWAR this season for New York. He slashed .148/.201/.230 with a .431 OPS in 135 at-bats. Going from an OPS 33 percent better than league average last season to 79 percent under league average in 2026, it’s obvious Polanco wasn't healthy.

While the Mets have eaten his salary this year, the news of surgery should bring some hope that he can at least live up to his salary next year. The Mets have gotten very poor production out of the first base position this season, but a healthy Polanco could solve that problem entirely for next season.

The question is, does New York trust him to turn it around? Or will they acquire another first baseman via trade or free agency just in case? President of Baseball Operations has an important choice on his hands – one that could mean October baseball or not in 2027.