Overview

• Baty left the Marlins game early with what the Mets termed right-side soreness after grimacing on a first-inning swing and was replaced by Ronny Mauricio.
• Reporters noted the issue could be oblique-related, and the club offered no immediate timetable as his availability for the season’s final games remains uncertain.
• The exit follows Baty’s standout start the previous day, when he made a highlight defensive play and hit a three-run homer after Mark Vientos’ costly error versus the Cubs intensified third-base scrutiny.
• Manager Carlos Mendoza had recently leaned back to Baty at third base, with fans and commentators calling for him to be the everyday option given his stronger defense and second-half production.
• New York is in a razor-thin wild-card race, tied with Cincinnati with the Reds holding the tiebreaker and Arizona close behind, increasing the impact of any short-term absence for one of the Mets’ steadier bats.