New York Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Monday.
Mendoza also said reliever A.J. Minter will have season-ending surgery next Monday because of a torn lat muscle. Minter had a 1.64 ERA in 13 appearances this season.
Infielder Brett Baty will take Winker’s spot on the big league roster after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse.
Winker left the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals because of right side discomfort. He got hurt making a throw to the plate in the third inning during his first start of the season in left field after getting nearly all his playing time this year in a DH platoon with Starling Marte.
The 25-year-old Baty hit .204 with one homer and four RBIs for the Mets earlier this season.
“The fact that he can play some second base, obviously can play third, lefty bat,” Mendoza said. “He allows me to rotate the DH a little more.”
The 31-year-old Winker, a left-handed hitter, is batting .239 with one homer and 10 RBIs this season.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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