Luis Robert Jr. spent 114 games out of the lineup during the final two seasons of his Chicago White Sox tenure. The veteran outfielder experienced a steady decline in production following an All-Star appearance in 2023.
Fast forward nearly an entire offseason, and Robert can recover from these injuries. This will come in the outfield of the New York Mets, who acquired him in January from the White Sox.
“At the beginning of the offseason, I thought there was a possibility, but as the offseason went on, I started my routine as normal,” Robert said through a translator Tuesday during an interview at the Mets spring training facility.
A Proactive Approach
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said during a press conference that the coaching staff plans to help Luis Robert Jr. recover from these injuries before the start of the season in roughly five weeks. That, however, will come at the expense of missing games during spring training.
“We’re going to be proactive. He won’t be playing in games out of the gate,” Mendoza added. “This is something that, when we traded for him, our trainers put their hands on him and identified some of the things, especially in the lower half, that needed to be straightened out.”
Luis Robert Jr. had his most successful campaign in 2023, when he had 144 hits, 36 doubles, 80 RBI and 38 home runs. But in his next two seasons, lower-body injuries hindered his ability to consistently perform at that level. Hamstring and hip problems have been at the forefront of his decline.
“Once the offseason started, the focus was to strengthen those parts — most of the injuries that I’ve dealt with,” Robert added. “That’s their plan. I know that’s the type of process they have, and I trust them because they want what’s best for me.”
Injuries at Large
Luis Robert Jr. is not the only Met that can sit out during spring training. Mendoza noted that Brett Baty has been dealing with a hamstring problem for two weeks. The same goes for Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco, who are recovering from prior injuries.
Alvarez’ missed multiple games last year due to a slew of injuries, as Polanco underwent a procedure on his knee in 2024. The four players are on pace to be ready for the regular season opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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