The New York Mets didn’t wait long to shake up their bench options after getting some unwelcome news on two injured players. On Tuesday the team signed Christopher Morel to a minor league contract, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. The deal gives the 27-year-old three opt-out dates, with the first one landing on July 15.
Morel is coming off a rough 22-game stretch with the Miami Marlins this year. He hit .162 with a .425 OPS before getting designated for assignment. That’s ugly. But the guy has played in the majors since 2022 and offers something the Mets clearly value right now: flexibility. He can play pretty much anywhere in the infield or outfield.
Injury Updates on Robert and Polanco
The timing of Morel’s signing makes more sense when you look at what’s happening with Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco. Robert is dealing with a herniated disc in his lumbar spine and is scheduled to start a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday. According to MLB.com, he’ll need at least a week of rehab games before the Mets consider bringing him back. If everything goes clean, expect him in July.
Polanco has left Achilles bursitis and this one has been nagging. He’s also set to start a rehab assignment Tuesday with a similar timeline. Barring any setbacks, both guys could be back in the big leagues sometime next month. That’s the plan anyway.
For now though the Mets have to fill those spots on the active roster. Morel isn’t going to light up the stat sheet but he gives them a warm body who can move around the diamond without looking completely lost. At this point that might be enough.
The Mets face the Blue Jays in Toronto on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 PM EST. Morel won’t be on the active roster yet but his addition gives the front office some breathing room while they wait for Robert and Polanco to get healthy.
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