The New York Mets appear to have avoided a potentially catastrophic injury involving superstar outfielder Juan Soto ahead of the trade deadline. On Tuesday night, though, manager Carlos Mendoza provided a tough update on another injured outfielder, Jesse Winker, as it doesn’t sound like he’s particularly close to returning to the field.
Winker has only played in 26 games this season, as he landed on the injured list with a back injury earlier in July, appearing in just two games after returning from an oblique strain that he suffered in May. And while Mendoza and the Mets are hoping Winker will be able to return soon, the latest injury update regarding the former All-Star is not a positive one.
Carlos Mendoza Provides Discouraging Jesse Winker Injury Update
Ahead of the trade deadline last season, New York acquired Winker in a trade with the Washington Nationals. While he didn’t immediately make a major impact with his new squad, Winker came to life in the postseason, as he posted a .318 batting average with one home run and four RBIs during his 10 playoff contests.
Winker’s injury woes have plagued him in 2025, as he simply has not spent enough time on the field to get into any sort of rhythm. In his 26 games this year, Winker is hitting just .229 with one home run and 10 RBIs. Given how big a part of the Mets’ lineup he was last year, though, you can bet the team would much rather have him on the field than on the sidelines.
Fans were hoping for a positive update from Mendoza on Winker, but they received nothing of that sort. New York’s manager revealed that Winker is still not doing much work as he recovers from inflammation in his back, indicating that his return to action is still at least a few weeks away.
“Not doing much,” Mendoza said when asked about Winker’s injury status, per SportsNet New York. “He’s just still stretching, doing exercises, but nothing baseball activity related. He’s still a few days, weeks, I guess.”
Could Latest Jesse Winker Injury Update Impact Mets’ Trade Deadline Plans?
GettyJesse Winker celebrates his double against the Minnesota Twins.
With the trade deadline less than 24 hours away now, the Mets’ front office could have some big decisions to make. While Winker isn’t really a part of their outfield plans (he’s primarily been utilized as the team’s designated hitter this season), the team is reportedly exploring the market for a potential center fielder. Luis Robert Jr., Steven Kwan, and Ramon Laureano have all been mentioned as trade targets for New York in recent days.
The latest injury update on Winker indicates that the Mets are going to be without one of their top sluggers for an extended period of time. Could the front office kill two birds with one stone by trading for an outfielder who’s having a strong season at the plate? It was already in consideration before this update, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see New York up the ante and be aggressive before the trade deadline strikes on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza Announces Bad News on Injured Outfielder