Mets' $40 Million Man Activated From IL; Hits RBI Double In Return

The time is now for the season to shift for the New York Mets, who currently sit 15 games out of first place in the National League East and 12 games out of a postseason position. Fans may have expected the mid-season shift to give them a final push towards the postseason, but things have certainly taken a turn in the first half of the campaign that requires a different set of plans.

While the front office gears up for what could be a trade deadline that brings a flurry of roster moves, some important changes are happening amongst players in the organization in the current moment.

Early on Tuesday, the Mets announced that offseason acquisition Jorge Polanco has been activated from the 60-day injured list. Taking his time to address and recover from Achilles and wrist injuries, Polanco is available to return to the Mets to provide the value his $40 million contract demands.

The 33-year-old was signed last offseason as Pete Alonso’s replacement at first base, but was only able to play 14 games before injuries took the reins of his first season in Queens.

Polanco started his rehab in Double-A before getting a final stint with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets that saw him play eight games. Polanco only managed two hits during his Triple-A spell, but they both went out of the field of play for home runs.

The Mets reaped the benefit of Polanco’s return to the major league lineup on Tuesday after the former All-Star knocked a double and drew a walk, batting in one run in the process. Still, Polanco’s promising return wasn't enough for New York, which went on to lose 16-12 to the Kansas City Royals.

There were also some corresponding moves made early on Tuesday after Polanco’s activation from the IL – right-hander Alex Carrillo was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster and infielder Ronny Mauricio was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster.

Carrillo had a 5.57 ERA in 21 relief innings for Syracuse this year, while Mauricio struggled in his 50 major league at-bats, recording a slash line of .180/.180/.260.

New York also DFA’d right-hander Guillo Zuniga and selected the contract of right-hander Matt Seelinger earlier in the morning.

Polanco’s activation certainly headlined Tuesday’s transactions, as his addition last offseason was crucial to plugging the sting of losing a player of Alonso’s caliber. Interim manager Andy Green is as excited as anybody for Polanco’s return.

“His bat is where a lot of the value is for us at this moment,” Green said before Tuesday’s game. “To have a switch-hitting bat like that, that you can pop at various spots, is still really valuable. We haven’t had that type of guy on the bench. So even when he doesn’t start, he’s going to add real value to our club.”

At the very least, it’s an encouraging sign to see Polanco feeling good enough to get a real shot at making an impact for his club – even if the team he has returned to isn’t in the spot he’d expect.