CHICAGO — Jose Siri is the odd man out in center field.
The Mets activated center fielder Tyrone Taylor off the injured list Wednesday afternoon, leaving them with one too many center fielders. The club had to cut one of them and chose Siri over Cedric Mullins, designating him for assignment shortly before the second game of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.
“Not an easy [decision],” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “Obviously, we know how toolsy he is and what he brings to the table, but it’s been a difficult year for him dealing with the fracture pretty much the whole year. It got to a point where we’re activating a right-handed hitter that plays pretty good defense and provides versatility and speed.”
Mullins, acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, bats left-handed, which gives the lineup another piece to work with. While the veteran outfielder has been somewhat disappointing since the trade, Siri’s season was far more disappointing. Acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Mets thought they saw some offensive spark and improved power in 2024 that could carry over into 2025, but he didn’t get a chance to show it with a fractured tibia keeping him out most of the season.
The 30-year-old Dominican Republic native was injured in early April, fouling a pitch off his left leg in Sacramento. In a somewhat embarrassing incident for the A’s, the golf cart used to cart injured players from the field to the clubhouses beyond the outfield at Sutter Health Park broke down and had to be pushed off the field by the grounds crew. A second cart was brought for Siri, who needed assistance getting around.
He suffered a setback in the summer when imaging found the bone wasn’t healing properly. Once Siri was finally able to get into a game, it had been months since he had seen live pitching. He hit just. .063 with two doubles, one RBI and two stolen bases in only 16 Major League games this season, striking out 17 times.
Defense and speed have always been Siri’s strengths, but his -1 OAA and -2 DRS made him a liability. Mullins has been much better defensively, with 4 OAA.
Taylor is an elite defender in center field, but has been an exceptionally streaky hitter. Still, the Mets have badly missed his defense in recent weeks, with the rangy outfielder seemingly able to make it to any ball hit to the outfield. He was back in the lineup Wednesday batting ninth.
Taylor is expected to get the bulk of the playing time in center field this week, but the Mets will play the matchups as they deem necessary with Mullins, Brandon Nimmo and super utility man Jeff McNeil.
“Everybody is willing to do whatever it takes,” Mendoza said. “We’ll use everyone accordingly.”
NOT-SO-SUNNY SENGA
The reports from Kodai Senga’s live batting practice session in Florida were “just OK,” Mendoza said. His velocity was down around 93 MPH, below his 94.7 season average, and far below what he’s capable of. Senga can sometimes touch 98-99.
The right-hander was also bothered by the humidity in Port St. Lucie. However, the Mets have no choice but to keep him at their complex since he’s not currently on the active major league roster. Senga agreed to be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse earlier this month, so he’s unable to use the major league facilities or be with the major league team until he’s added to the roster again.
While no decision has been definitively made, it sounds like he’s not going to pitch again this season. The Mets, who travel to Miami next, could have him make the drive down 95 to join the team for the series against the Marlins this weekend, but it doesn’t sound likely.
“Physically, he feels fine [and] he feels he’s healthy, but it’s just not clicking,” Mendoza said. “Especially with the way the ball is coming out [of his hand]. So I think it was like 93 yesterday on the live BP, again it was hot, and he felt the weather there too. That was part of the reports that we got from the pitching coaches, that the weather kind of got to him there a little bit, and he got tired.”
WINDY CITY BALL
The wind at Wrigley Field is always a factor, and the Mets had to adjust to it Tuesday night. Former Mets pitcher and current broadcaster Ron Darling said he used to struggle with the wind once it started blowing around the fifth inning, which coincidentally, was around the time the Mets and Cubs started making defensive errors in the first game of the series.
McNeil had two on back-to-back plays, and Juan Soto misplayed a fly ball in right field in the bottom of the first that was ruled a double. The Mets have made six errors in their last four games, and while they were able to overcome them Tuesday, it’s an area they’re looking to clean up over the next five games.
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