Mark Vientos was optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse just two days after hitting a walk-off homer for the Mets against the St. Louis Cardinals. The move was necessary to make room on the 26-man roster for Starling Marte, who was activated from the bereavement list. Despite his temporary removal from the major league roster, Vientos expressed his understanding of the situation and acknowledged that it was likely only a short-term solution to create space for Marte.
Vientos’ position with the Mets might be uncertain at the moment, as DJ Stewart and J.D. Martinez are already on the roster, and Joey Wendle is their only backup middle infielder. Any potential swap of Wendle for Vientos is unlikely, given that he would need to be replaced with another player capable of playing shortstop and second base in case Wendle is parted ways with in the future. Despite having a chance at filling the Mets’ DH job, Vientos now finds himself in a challenging position due to his defensive limitations at third base and the existing lineup on the team.
Despite facing difficulties in his current role, Vientos has been performing exceptionally well in Triple-A for the past two seasons, showcasing his impressive hitting abilities with strong OPS numbers. If Brett Baty struggles at bat in future games, there’s a possibility that Vieux will be considered for a spot at third base. Last season, Vieux showed promise in New York when given regular playing time and excelled particularly in power hitting. Despite these challenges, he remains determined to continue working hard and seize any opportunities that come his way in pursuit of success in baseball.