The New York Mets have placed infielder Mark Vientos on the 10-day injured list following a fractured right hand sustained during Thursday’s game. While surgery will not be necessary, the 26-year-old is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action.
The injury occurred in the second inning of New York’s 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals at home on Thursday, when Vientos was struck by a 92.2 mph sinker thrown by Royals pitcher Michael Wacha. Vientos was able to run the bases after being hit but did not return to his position at third base when the third inning began.
Describing the moment he realized something was seriously wrong, Vientos said, “It definitely sucks because I want to be with the team and play with the guys. I’ve been hit in the hand before. I started to realize this (injury) was different when I was on first base and the hand started to feel a little numb. It was a painful feeling. … The hand was swollen and there was no way I could grip the ball.”
Through 73 games this season, Vientos is batting .211 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. He has seen his playing time decrease, splitting time between first base (60 games), designated hitter (eight games), and third base (three games).
Now in his fifth year with the Mets — the team that drafted him in the second round back in 2017 — Vientos carries a career batting average of .234 with 65 home runs and 192 RBIs across 386 games. His standout year came in 2024, when he posted a .266 average with 27 home runs and 71 RBIs in 111 games.
To fill the roster spot, the Mets promoted shortstop Zack Short from Triple-A Syracuse. The 31-year-old had appeared in three games for New York earlier this season, going 1-for-8 (.125), after previously posting a .167 average in 23 games with the Detroit Tigers. At Syracuse this year, Short went 3-for-21 (.143) in seven games. He has now suited up for five different Major League Baseball organizations since 2021, including 10 games with the Mets in 2024 where he hit .111.
Right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers, 27, was also recalled from Syracuse. In his first season with the Mets, Myers is 0-2 with one save, a 6.14 ERA, 13 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 44 innings spread across 25 appearances, including three starts. Over his career, Myers is 10-10 with one save, 64 walks, and 198 strikeouts in 232 and two-thirds innings across 74 games, pitching for both the Milwaukee Brewers and the Mets.
Myers had been optioned to Syracuse on Thursday when 28-year-old Dan Hammer, a career minor leaguer, was added to the major league roster to strengthen the bullpen. Hammer did not appear in a game before being designated for assignment as part of Friday’s moves.
