The reports have been all over the place. Luis Robert Jr. says he’s going to play again this season. Carlos Mendoza doesn’t know when he will return. The start of Robert’s tenure in Queens has been a complete nightmare. The Mets' starting center fielder hasn’t been in action since April 26, completely missing a new chapter in New York: the emergence of A.J. Ewing.On Thursday, via translator, Robert provided an optimistic update regarding his return to action.“I’ve been able to do a little bit of everything, just slowly,” Robert said when providing an update on his progress from his back injury. “I think by the end of the week, if everything progresses well, I’ll be able to start running out on the field.”"I've been able to do a little bit of everything, just slowly. I think by the end of the week if everything progresses well, I'll be able to start running out on the field"Luis Robert Jr. provides an update on his progress from his back injury: pic.twitter.com/wAunouWqGy— SNY (@SNYtv) June 11, 2026It seems Robert has slowly worked his way back into baseball activities, throwing prior to the Mets' game on Wednesday against the Cardinals.While Robert claims he will be back this season, there has yet to be an official timetable for his return to action. Jorge Polanco has walked down a very similar path, sidelined since April 14, with an equally uncertain sense of when he’d be playing baseball again. The former Mariner has returned to action in rehab appearances, leaving the ex-White Sox All-Star as the only one without a potential return date.As great as it is to see Robert sounding optimistic, can the Mets trust his targeted return timeline? Luis Robert Jr.'s future is unclear as eventual return looms Robert is historically known for missing time due to injury, something President of Baseball Operations David Stearns spoke on during his latest homestand press conference, where he made it clear the Mets needed to further evaluate their moves when adding players with lengthy injury histories, per Athlon Sports' Pat Ragazzo.Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. are the reasons David Stearns admitted that the Mets need to reevaluate how they assess injury prone players Relying on both players to stay healthy was a big risk— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) June 7, 2026With Robert missing more than a month’s worth of action, is his future with the Mets organization already at risk?For starters, it’ll be a very tough conversation to hold once Robert returns from injury, whenever that is. Ewing has given the Mets everything they could’ve asked for and more, batting .263 through his first 28 games with 25 hits and an on-base percentage of .343. Through four fewer games, Robert’s numbers were much worse, batting .224 with 19 hits and a .327 OBP. It’s also worth mentioning that Ewing provides better defense and better production on the basepaths, leaving the 28-year-old in a tough place.One plus to Robert potentially returning to action: the Mets could potentially field offers for the veteran outfielder, especially if his play begins to pick up. Several teams showed interest in the center fielder at last year's trade deadline, including the Mets and Phillies, but the White Sox's asking price was far too high. He has a $20 million club option for the 2027 season, making him a potential multi-year addition for any interested parties. Any trade or lineup conversations will be on hold until Robert is officially back, though—whenever that will be. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow