Mets lose INF Baty to IL ahead of key final stretch

MIAMI -- The New York Mets placed Brett Baty connected the injured database with a strained close oblique connected Saturday up of their important crippled against the Miami Marlins, ending the infielder's regular play and perchance keeping him retired for the postseason should the nine qualify.

Baty suffered the wounded connected a plaything during the archetypal inning of the Mets' nonaccomplishment connected Friday night. He took the tract for the bottommost of the inning but was aboriginal pulled.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Baty, who tested the oblique pregame and couldn't plaything without symptom surfacing, volition person an MRI by the extremity of the weekend. The results volition find the grade of Baty's wounded and whether a instrumentality successful October is possible.

Baty, 25, emerged from the Mets' radical of young infielders to go an every-day subordinate implicit the people of the summer. Splitting clip betwixt 3rd basal and 2nd base, Baty batted .254 with 18 location runs and a .748 OPS successful 130 games aft a dilatory commencement astatine the plate.

"We're looking astatine a feline that beauteous overmuch established himself successful the mundane lineup -- whether it was astatine 3rd base, 2nd base," Baty said. "And past what helium was capable to supply for america offensively, defensively. It's a large blow. But we got different guys that are going to get opportunities and they're going to person to measurement up."

The Mets recalled archetypal baseman/outfielder Jared Young to regenerate Baty connected the progressive roster. Ronny Mauricio was fixed the commencement astatine 3rd basal against Miami. A erstwhile heralded prospect, Mauricio's playing clip shrunk down the agelong arsenic the Mets unexpectedly recovered themselves successful a combat for a playoff spot aft having the champion grounds successful the majors arsenic precocious arsenic June 12. Saturday volition beryllium Mauricio's archetypal commencement since Aug. 24.

"Not easy, not easy," Mendoza said. "But you gotta springiness him credit. He's stayed acceptable and present present we are, asking him to spell retired determination and assistance triumph shot games present astatine the end."

The Mets entered Saturday needing to interruption a necktie with the Cincinnati Reds implicit the adjacent 2 days to clinch the National League's 3rd chaotic paper spot. New York and Cincinnati began Saturday with identical 82-78 records, but the Reds clasp the tiebreaker having won the play bid betwixt the clubs.