The New York Mets are bringing Mark Vientos back to the big-league roster, activating the infielder from the 10-day injured list Monday after a remarkable power surge during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse.
The roster spot became available earlier Monday when the Baltimore Orioles claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets. Vientos now returns to a club looking for offensive production during the final weeks of the regular season.
Vientos has given the Mets plenty of reason to believe he can provide a spark. Since beginning his rehab assignment August 21, the 26-year-old has hit five home runs over his last four games, including three home runs Sunday for Syracuse. His three-homer performance came as the Syracuse Mets combined with six pitchers to throw a nine-inning no-hitter against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
The strong stretch comes during a difficult season for Vientos, who has batted .211 with a .644 OPS, 11 home runs and 35 runs batted in across 2026. He has been limited to 62 games after suffering a fractured right hand July 9 when he was hit by a pitch from Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha.
Vientos’ role could be somewhat limited initially. Bo Bichette has handled third base, Jared Young has received the majority of the playing time at first base and Juan Soto has primarily served as the designated hitter since returning from the injured list.
Interim manager Andy Green previously indicated that Vientos would not have a guaranteed path to regular playing time upon his return. That could leave him seeing most of his opportunities at first base against left-handed pitching.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.