The Mets have been without two of their key lineup threats for the first weeks of the season, but that could change in the coming weeks.
Both Jeff McNeil (oblique) and Francisco Alvarez (hamate bone) were scheduled to head to Port St. Lucie on Tuesday after hitting outside at Citi Field before the Mets’ 10-5 win over the Marlins on Tuesday.
Carlos Mendoza said Alvarez would start a rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie on Wednesday, while McNeil will be in extended spring training, with a rehab assignment to begin potentially this week.
The manager didn’t provide a timeline for their return to the Mets, but they are making steps in the right direction.
For Alvarez, Mendoza said, “It’s gonna come down to him catching back-to-backs [games], nine innings and getting four or five at-bats [in a game].”
Having that progression starting Wednesday is encouraging.
“The fact he’ll play in games against real competition is a good sign,’’ Mendoza said before the Mets’ win.
Mendoza noted that since McNeil is dealing with a strained oblique, his return could be more complicated.
“Obliques are tricky,’’ Mendoza said of the strain. “We’ll continue to watch and monitor and see how he responds in games and when he faces fastballs and breaking balls and has to make swing decisions.”
The Mets have survived well enough without both players, even as Hayden Senger has had to fill in for Luis Torrens behind the plate, with Torrens also out with a forearm contusion.
And McNeil’s replacements, Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty, have been fine at second base, but neither has produced offensively.
“They are part of the everyday lineup,’’ Mendoza said of Alvarez and McNeil. “They’ll continue to make our lineup a lot deeper: a right-handed hitter with power [in Alvarez] and a lefty hitter in Jeff with bat-to-ball skills, a batting average guy that can also drive the ball. It adds balance to the lineup.”
The Mets held a moment of silence for Octavio Dotel, the former longtime MLB pitcher who died in the roof collapse in the Dominican Republic.
Dotel, 51, came through the Mets system, debuted in 1999 and was traded to the Astros after the season in the deal that brought Mike Hampton to Queens.
Before the game, Mendoza sent his thoughts to the dozens who died in Santo Domingo.
“Thinking about our people in the Dominican Republic,” Mendoza said. “It affected a lot of people there. We have a lot of Dominican communities in the baseball world. Our prayers to their families.”
Jose Siri entered as a defensive sub in the ninth, playing center field and pushing Tyrone Taylor to right.
Mendoza wanted to give Juan Soto a small break on a miserable day to stand in the outfield.
“This is something that I’m going to do once in a while,” Mendoza said.
Earlier in the game, during a Mets pitching change, Soto left the field and sat in the bullpen, likely because there were heaters there.
“I like those guys back there,” Soto said to laughs.
Hayden Senger (2-for-4, two runs) recorded his first career multihit game. … Starling Marte (2-for-3, two RBIs, a steal) reached base four times. … Pete Alonso’s bases-clearing double gave him 601 RBIs for his career, one of six players in franchise history with 600 or more.
