The Mets’ feel-good west coast trip may have taken a drastic turn in the span of a half hour on Tuesday night.
Starling Marte injured his quad trying to steal second base, and soon after, Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch on the hand, and both left the game.
Two of New York’s key offensive pieces, including its most valuable hitter at this point, now await MRI results to see the severity of their injuries.
“Hopefully, we can get lucky with both of them,” Buck Showalter said after the team’s 7-0 loss to San Diego, via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “We’ll see.”
The team seems to have already avoided the worst, as X-rays on Alonso’s hand were negative and Marte was ruled out with quad tightness. But that doesn’t mean either should be expected back in the next day or two, while the Mets continue through a daunting stretch of their schedule.
“I love your optimism, but I don’t share it at this point,” Showalter said if either Marte or Alonso could be back in the next day or two. “But we’ll see.”
Fortunately, the Mets have built themselves a cozy lead in the NL East over the defending champion Braves and surging Phillies, but if Alonso in particular misses any extended period of time, New York would be tasked with plugging a gaping hole in its lineup.
“I look at it as a time for somebody else to shine, like we have all year,” Showalter said. “Our front office has been ahead of the game keeping us equipped, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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