Mark Vientos left the Mets’ 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals after getting hit by a pitch during the second inning. Ishika Samant / Getty ImagesJuly 9, 2026 Updated NEW YORK — Mark Vientos, who lingered on the periphery of trade deadline discussions as a possible change-of-scenery candidate, is headed to the injured list because of a fracture in his right hand, New York Mets interim manager Andy Green said Thursday.Vientos left the Mets’ 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals after getting hit by a pitch during the second inning. Green would not disclose more details about Vientos’ situation, but the injury is expected to force Vientos to miss multiple weeks. The Aug. 3 trade deadline is less than four weeks away.Vientos has failed to hold down a consistent role since his magical 2024 season, during which he posted an .837 OPS and 27 home runs. Instead of a breakout year, that season looks more like an outlier. It’s possible that some team could see enough value in Vientos’ bat to inquire about him in a trade, but his stock is trending down. Vientos, 26, is under club control through 2029.
Through 73 games and 254 plate appearances, Vientos is slashing just .211/.256/.388 with 11 home runs. He has lost playing time at first base and as a designated hitter, relegating the right-handed batter to a limited part-time role, mostly against lefties. Over the past two seasons, he owns a .680 OPS.After Vientos left Thursday’s game, Brett Baty replaced him at third base and rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing moved to second base for the first time this season. The Mets have mostly used Jared Young at first base against right-handed pitchers with Jorge Polanco, fresh off the injured list, soaking up more time at designated hitter.Infielder Ronny Mauricio and outfielder/designated hitter MJ Melendez would be among the logical candidates to replace Vientos on the active roster.
