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Luis Robert Jr. Set to Begin Rehab Assignment on Tuesday
New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Robert Jr. has been sidelined since late April with lumbar spine disc irritation, but it appears he could be on the doorstep of a return to the big leagues. Across 98 plate appearances before the injury, Robert Jr. hit .224/.327/.329 with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 28-year-old had lowered his strikeout rate to a career-best 17.3%, but he also logged just a 2.9% barrel rate. When fully healthy, Robert Jr. carries high-end power/speed upside. However, he's only reached 450 plate appearances once in seven MLB seasons.
Source: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
Source: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
Carson Benge a Bright Spot in Mets' Dismal Season
New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge has been one of the few bright spots in 2026 for a Mets team that has been downright awful. The 23-year-old former 19th overall pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State University has more than held his own since his early-season call-up, and he should play regularly the rest of the way as the Mets play out the string in a lost season. In his first 289 big-league at-bats, the left-handed-hitting outfielder is slashing .256/.320/.398 with a .718 OPS, nine home runs, 30 RBI, 43 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 78 games played and 316 plate appearances. Benge homered twice last weekend and has hit .294 (10-for-34) with two homers, a double, a triple, four RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in his last eight games atop the Mets' batting order. Even more impressive so far this year is that Benge has gone 18-for-62 (.290) with two of his nine home runs against lefties. He's an emerging power/speed threat with regular playing time, which means he should be rostered in more fantasy leagues. Right now, Benge is still rostered in just under half of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Ryan Clifford Worth Monitoring as Deep-League Stash Candidate in Mets System?
New York Mets first base/outfield prospect Ryan Clifford has spent the entire first half of the season with Triple-A Syracuse and is expected to compete for a second-half debut, especially if the Mets look to sell off some of their current starters. Through 74 games at Syracuse this season, Clifford, the former 11th-round selection, has held a .197/.282/.401 line with a .683 OPS, 11 doubles, and 14 home runs. While his hefty 36.3% K% is a glaring weakness, Clifford has shown high power upside at times. During the 2025 season, Clifford split his time between Double-A and Triple-A, where he hit a total of 29 home runs (over 139 games) with a .237/.356/.470 line. Managers should continue to monitor his progress at Syracuse, as he should emerge as a viable deep-league stash for power later in the summer.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Juan Soto Returns From Back Injury on Thursday
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (back) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting third for the Mets in Thursday's series finale at Citi Field against the visiting Chicago Cubs and left-hander Matthew Boyd, according to MLB.com. MJ Melendez will make another start in left field and will hit eighth. Soto was pulled from Tuesday's loss to the Cubs with left side back tightness, and he both ends of Wednesday's doubleheader versus Chicago. The 27-year-old superstar is back in action on Thursday, though, and even though he's facing a left-hander, he should be returned to starting lineups in all traditional fantasy leagues. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner was on the injured list earlier this season with a calf injury, but when healthy, he continues to impress, slashing .299/.395/.570 with a .965 OPS, 17 long balls, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 221 at-bats. Soto has faced Boyd eight times in his career and has a solo home run off him while batting .125 with a .722 OPS. He's hitting .278 (22-for-79) against southpaws in 2026 with four of his 17 home runs.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Juan Soto Out for Game 2 of Doubleheader
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (back) will remain sidelined for Game 2 of a doubleheader in Queens on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs, per MLB.com. Brett Baty is making the start in right field and will bat ninth against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. Soto was forced to leave Tuesday's game against Chicago due to tightness on the left side of his back. The 27-year-old is being considered day-to-day for now, but manager Carlos Mendoza said that it's possible that the All-Star could have to make another trip to the injured list. The good news for the Mets is that they're getting star shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) back from the IL for Game 2 of their doubleheader. Soto's next chance to return to the starting lineup will come in Thursday's series finale against the Cubbies. When healthy in 2026, the four-time Dominican All-Star has been his usual reliable self in fantasy, slashing .299/.395/.570 with a .965 OPS, 17 round-trippers, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 221 at-bats. Check back on Thursday for an update on Soto's condition.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Juan Soto Sitting Out of Game 1 of Doubleheader on Wednesday
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (back) is predictably absent from the starting lineup for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Wednesday against the visiting Chicago Cubs at Citi Field, per MLB.com. MJ Melendez will start in left field for the Mets and bat eighth against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. Soto was pulled from Tuesday's contest against the Cubs with left side back tightness, and he's considered day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers will need to check back later on Wednesday to see if Soto is back in action for Game 2 of the twin bill. If the All-Star outfielder doesn't play in either of the two games on Wednesday, his next chance to return will be for Thursday's series finale in New York against Chicago. The 27-year-old four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner missed time earlier this year with a calf injury, but when on the field, he's been the same old Mr. Reliable, slashing .299/.395/.570 with a .965 OPS, 17 homers, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases across his 221 at-bats for the Mets. Melendez has a solo home run and is hitting .200 in his five career at-bats against Assad. UPDATE: Manager Carlos Mendoza said that Soto is still being evaluated, and he may need a stint on the injured list, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Luis Robert Jr. Progressing, Remains Without Firm Return Timeline
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) is doing baseball activities and is "symptom-free, pretty much," per Max Goodman of NJ.com. However, Goodman reports that Robert Jr. remains without a return timeline from the lumbar spine disc irritation that has kept him sidelined since late April. Across 98 plate appearances before the injury, Robert Jr. hit .224/.327/.329 with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 28-year-old remains a high-upside power/speed threat when healthy, as he stole 33 bases and logged a 10.1% barrel rate across 110 games for the Chicago White Sox in 2025. Still, health is a major part of the story for Robert Jr., who will likely fail to reach 450 plate appearances for the fifth time in the last six seasons in 2026. Until more is known about when Robert Jr. is expected to go out on a rehab assignment, fantasy managers are probably safe to leave him on the waiver wire.
Source: NJ.com - Max Goodman
Source: NJ.com - Max Goodman
Juan Soto Exits Early on Tuesday With Back Tightness
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (back) was removed early from his team's game against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night due to back tightness. Soto was hitless in two trips to the plate before exiting the game. The 27-year-old has been his typical elite self at the plate when healthy this season, hitting .299/.395/.570 with 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases across 259 plate appearances. He's also been red-hot of late, hitting .326 with four home runs over his last 51 plate appearances entering play on Tuesday. However, Soto missed 15 games earlier this season with a calf injury and could now be in danger of missing additional time. If Soto requires a stint on the injured list, Mets outfielder MJ Melendez could be in line for more playing time. UPDATE: Manager Carlos Mendoza said after Tuesday's game that Soto is day-to-day, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese.
Source: New York Mets
Source: New York Mets
Carson Benge in the Midst of a Rookie-Year Breakout?
New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge has quickly become a lineup regular and table-setter for the Mets in 2026 in his first year in the big leagues, batting .257/.316/.385 with a .701 OPS, seven home runs, nine doubles, two triples, 26 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 39 runs scored in his first 72 big-league games across 288 plate appearances. The 23-year-old former 19th overall pick out of Oklahoma State University in the 2024 MLB draft went 3-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base in the team's 6-4 win over the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday out of the leadoff spot, and he's now hitting .293/.338/.533 with four home runs, six RBI, and 14 runs scored in his last 18 games. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has also gone 16-for-49 (.327) with two of his seven home runs against left-handed pitchers. In what has become a lost season for New York, Benge should be a lineup regular all year, and his recent hot streak makes him a must-add off the waiver wire for his high-end upside in multiple fantasy categories. Benge is currently rostered in only 44% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Juan Soto Stays Hot With Two-Homer Game Against Phillies
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has been red-hot at the plate recently, and it continued in the team's 6-4 win on the road in Philadelphia on Thursday night against the division-rival Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Soto went 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and a walk to boost his season average to .300 and his OPS to .980. The 27-year-old Dominican hit both of his home runs in his first two at-bats of the game to set the tone for the Metropolitans. It was his second multi-homer game of the season. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner missed time this year with a calf injury, but other than that, he's been excellent despite the Mets' terrible season. Soto is now hitting .300/.398/.582 with 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 249 plate appearances. And in his last eight games, he's been even better, going 14-for-29 (.483) with three long balls. As always, Soto is a must-start in all fantasy lineups as long as he's healthy.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
A.J. Ewing's Elite Speed Makes him an Appealing Waiver-Wire Target
Across 134 plate appearances since making his MLB debut in mid-May, New York Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing is hitting .250/.333/.362 with two home runs, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. The 21-year-old has struggled with both swing-and-miss (29.2%) and power (5.3% barrel rate) early in his MLB career, which is a bit of a worrying combination. Still, Ewing has demonstrated an ability to get on base (11.2% walk rate) and profiles as a significant speed threat. Across 124 minor league games in 2025, Ewing stole 70 bases. With his elite speed, Ewing consistently ran high BABIPs in the minors despite his underwhelming contact quality. If he can cut down on the whiffs as he gets more reps against big-league pitching, Ewing could emerge as a solid source of batting average and a tremendous source of speed for fantasy managers over the second half of the 2026 season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Carson Benge Deserves More Attention in Fantasy Leagues
It has been a lost season for the New York Mets, primarily due to injuries to their key players, but rookie outfielder Carson Benge has been a bright spot, and he should be rostered in more fantasy baseball leagues amid his recent hot streak. The 23-year-old former 19th overall pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State University has more than held his own in his first 65 big-league games, slashing .260/.318/.396 with a .713 OPS, seven home runs, nine doubles, a triple, 26 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 35 runs scored across 255 plate appearances. Benge has been even better so far in nine games in June, going 11-for-37 (.297) with three home runs, a triple, five RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base in 38 plate appearances. He even had a five-hit game on June 7 that included a home run and a triple. Although he hasn't had much exposure to lefties, he is hitting .350 (14-for-40) against them with two of his seven home runs on the year. Benge deserves more consideration from fantasy managers, as he's rostered in just under half of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Luis Robert Jr. Expects to Return This Season
New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) said he expects to return from his spine injury this season, according to Chelsea Janes of SNY. Robert said his back has been responding better in recent days, so he might run on the field by the end of the week. However, he doesn't know if the issue will fully subside or if it will be something he will have to play through the rest of the way. It's not exactly a ringing endorsement for fantasy managers who have been stashing the 28-year-old Cuban slugger, who is currently on the 60-day injured list. Robert has been sidelined since late May due to lumbar spine disc irritation. It sounds like he's making some progress of late, but there remains no timetable for his return to the Mets. Robert has always teased elite power/speed upside, but he has only delivered on that potential once, back in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox. There's no guarantee he'll be a reliable fantasy asset again in 2026 after hitting .224 (19-for-85) with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs, and two steals in 24 games to kick off his first year with the Mets. Robert is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues currently.
Source: SNY - Chelsea Janes
Source: SNY - Chelsea Janes
A.J. Ewing Worth a Look in Deep Leagues for his Speed?
New York Mets rookie second baseman/outfielder A.J. Ewing already has seven stolen bases in 10 attempts in his first 25 major-league games. The team's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has hit .259 (22-for-85) with a homer, a double, a triple, seven RBI, and 11 runs scored in his first 99 plate appearances for the injury-riddled and last-place Mets. The 21-year-old former fourth-rounder in 2023 out of a high school in Ohio is currently riding a five-game hitting streak, in which he's gone 7-for-18 (.389) with a double, RBI, three stolen bases, and three runs scored. The 5-foot-10, 160-pounder is definitely worth an add off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues if you're searching for speed, but Ewing's current 31.3% strikeout rate is certainly a drawback. But as long as he can continue to get on base, Ewing will continue to run with the Mets basically letting their young prospects get plenty of playing time in 2026 in what has quickly turned into a lost season.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Carson Benge Should Attract More Interest Off Waiver Wire After Five-Hit Game
New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge set the table nicely in the team's 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Sunday in the series finale, going 5-for-5 at the plate out of the leadoff spot with a home run, a triple, two RBI, and three runs scored. Benge is now hitting .265/.325/.408 with a .733 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 34 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in his first 62 big-league games across 243 plate appearances as an everyday player for the last-place Mets. The 23-year-old's strong outing on Sunday in San Diego was the first five-hit game of his career, and he finished just a double short of hitting for the cycle. After his five-hit performance at Petco, Benge is now hitting .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs, a triple, five RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in six games so far in June. The young outfielder is red-hot at the plate and provides a nice power/speed profile for fantasy managers in the short and long term. Benge is only rostered in 39% of Yahoo leagues and should start picking up steam as a waiver-wire pickup this week.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
