Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Sitting against left-hander
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Acuna is not in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Dodgers.
Each of Acuna's last four starts have come against left-handed pitching, but he's not in there Friday versus southpaw Clayton Kershaw. He's now been in the lineup just twice across the Mets' last six contests. Brett Baty is handling second base and batting eighth.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Stuck in short side of platoon
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Acuna is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Acuna had started in three of the Mets' last four games, but all three starts came against southpaws. He finds himself on the bench for a third straight matchup with a righty (Hunter Dobbins) and looks like he'll be relegated to the short side of a platoon at second base with Jeff McNeil.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Idle Tuesday
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Acuna isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
Acuna will grab a seat on the bench for the second game in a row after going 3-for-8 during Sunday's doubleheader against St. Louis. Jeff McNeil will get the nod at second base and bat seventh.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Not starting Monday
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Acuna is not in the Mets' starting lineup against the Diamondbacks on Monday.
Acuna played in both games of Sunday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, going 3-for-8 with one stolen base and one run scored. He'll get a breather Monday while Jeff McNeil starts at second base and bats eighth against Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Three hits, steal in matinee loss
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Acuna went 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in a 6-5 loss to the Cardinals in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader.
Acuna continues to lead the Mets in steals -- his theft Sunday was his eighth of the season. This was also his third multi-hit effort in the last six games, though he followed it up with an 0-for-4 effort in the nightcap. Acuna is at a .298/.355/.369 slash line with no home runs, four RBI, 14 runs scored and six doubles across 93 plate appearances this season. He continues to see a majority of the playing time at second base, though he started at third in the day game.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Swipes bag Tuesday
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Acuna went 2-for-4 with a steal and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Diamondbacks.
Acuna notched his second straight multi-hit game Tuesday with singles in the second and third innings, and he came around to score both times. He added his seventh steal of the season and is far and away the Mets' leading base stealer. The 23-year-old has held his own through the first month of the season, hitting .300/.355/.371 with five extra-base hits, three RBI, 13 runs and a 6:14 BB:K in 76 plate appearances.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Starting at keystone again Monday
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Acuna is starting at second base and batting ninth in Monday's game versus the Nationals, Andrew Tredinnick of NorthJersey.com reports.
Acuna has now been in the lineup three times in four games since Jeff McNeil returned from the injured list, as McNeil has started in center field twice during that span and was on the bench the one time the Mets faced a lefty. If McNeil proves to be a viable option on a regular basis in center field, Acuna could find himself in the lineup often at the keystone.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Out of lineup again
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Acuna is not in the Mets' starting lineup against the Cardinals on Friday.
Acuna will be out of the Mets' lineup for a second straight game while Brett Baty starts at the keystone and bats ninth against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas. Acuna is slashing .263/.349/.342 with five walks, five stolen bases, eight runs scored and one RBI in 43 plate appearances this season.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Swipes fifth bag of year
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Acuna went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the Twins.
Making his fourth straight start at second base, Acuna extended his hitting streak to six games while swiping his fifth bag in five attempts. The 23-year-old is batting .381 (8-for-21) during his heater with two doubles, six runs and a 3:4 BB:K, and the Mets may be exploring ways to keep Acuna in the lineup -- Jeff McNeil (oblique) is seeing time in center field during his rehab assignment.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: On base three times Monday
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Acuna went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base in Monday's 5-1 win over the Twins.
The 23-year-old made an impact from the bottom of the batting order, continuing a hot streak in which he has gone 6-for-14 over his last four games with three steals and six runs scored. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza essentially confirmed that Acuna has pulled ahead of Brett Baty in the battle for playing time at second base, with the skipper noting that Acuna will start against another right-handed pitcher (Bailey Ober) on Tuesday, per Tim Healey of Newsday. Jeff McNeil (oblique) is closing in on a return from the 10-day injured list and will eventually take over as the Mets' primary second baseman, but Acuna's ability to play center field will likely improve his odds of sticking around in the big leagues since Jose Siri (tibia) appears headed for a lengthy absence.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Nabs third steal
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Acuna went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 7-6 win over the A's.
Getting the start at second base and batting seventh, Acuna put together his best performance of the season at the plate. The division of labor at the keystone may be tipping in the 23-year-old's favor given Brett Baty's tough start to the campaign, but Jeff McNeil (oblique) began a rehab assignment Friday and likely isn't far away from being activated from the IL. Both Baty and Acuna could simply be competing for one big-league bench spot once McNeil is ready to return. On the season, Acuna is batting .217 (5-for-23) with two doubles, three steals and five runs scored.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Makes Opening Day roster
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Acuna will be on the Mets' Opening Day roster, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
The .966 OPS that Acuna delivered in his first 14 games of MLB action late in the regular season last year didn't quite carry over into spring training, as he wrapped up camp with a .250/.304/.269 slash line alongside five RBI, seven runs scored and three steals in 21 Grapefruit League games. Likely destined to spend most days on the Mets' bench, the 23-year-old's best path to playing time is in the short side of a platoon with Brett Baty at second base until Jeff McNeil (oblique) returns.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Looking good for roster spot
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Acuna seems likely to win a spot on the Opening Day roster and could handle the short side of a platoon at second base alongside Brett Baty, Tim Britton of the Athletic reports.
The Mets may have been reluctant to bring Acuna north if he was just going to be stuck on the bench, but the potential for consistent playing time might make the decision to keep him on the 26-man roster easier. That playing time is available due to an oblique injury to Jeff McNeil, and if either or both of the youngsters play well in his absence, there's no guarantee he wins back the starting gig given how his production has declined since he won the NL batting crown in 2022. The 23-year-old Acuna would help his case with a strong finish to his spring -- through 14 appearances he's batting .226 (7-for-31) with a 0:6 BB:K, although he has gone 3-for-3 on steal attempts.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Could help fill in for McNeil
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that Acuna is among the players who could step into larger roles in the infield with Jeff McNeil (oblique) expected to begin the season on the injured list, SNY.tv reports.
Mendoza also listed Brett Baty, Donovan Walton and Luis De Los Santos as candidates to help replace McNeil, though Walton and De Los Santos are attending spring training as non-roster invitees and may be less likely than Acuna and Baty to break camp with the big club. After getting a call-up from Triple-A Syracuse last September, Acuna exclusively filled in at shortstop for an injured Francisco Lindor and hit .308 with three home runs in 40 plate appearances to close out the regular season, but he made all seven of his postseason appearances at the keystone while McNeil was recovering from a fractured wrist. Acuna has dabbled at both middle-infield spots as well as third base during Grapefruit League play, but expect most of his reps to come at the keystone for the rest of the spring as he looks to solidify himself as the top option at the position until McNeil returns.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Will get look at third base
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Acuna is expected to compete for the Mets' third-base job during spring training, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Assuming Pete Alonso moves on -- which is the expectation -- Mark Vientos will slide to first base, creating an opening at third. Acuna has never played the hot corner in pro ball, but he's a capable defender at shortstop and second base and the Mets evidently feel he can handle the switch. Slated to turn 23 in March, Acuna slashed .308/.325/.641 in 14 regular-season games for the Mets in 2024, although that was after he managed a .258/.299/.355 line at Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets would probably prefer to give him more seasoning at Syracuse, but Acuna will get a chance to compete with Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio (knee) for reps at third base with the big club.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Goes yard again Saturday
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Acuna went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.
The 22-year-old has been on fire since getting promoted last weekend, batting .385 (10-for-26) in his first eight big-league games with six extra-base hits, including three homers. Acuna's power display is especially impressive considering he hit only seven home runs in 131 games at Triple-A this season. Francisco Lindor (back) should return to the lineup any day now and reclaim the starting job at shortstop, but with a playoff spot on the line, the Mets could keep Acuna's red-hot bat in the lineup at another position.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Another strong game
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Acuna went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 10-0 win over the Nationals.
This was Acuna's third multi-hit effort in five major-league games, and he has homered in consecutive contests. He's filled in admirably at shortstop while Francisco Lindor deals with a back injury. If Acuna continues to hit well, he could push for playing time somewhere else once Lindor returns, though he'll have to stay hot at the plate with the Mets in the thick of the wild-card race.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Shines as Lindor replacement
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Acuna went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two additional runs in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Nationals.
Though Jose Iglesias assumed leadoff duties for the second game in a row while the Mets' usual table setter, Francisco Lindor (back), was on the bench, Acuna stepped in at Lindor's usual spot at shortstop. The rookie made the most of his second career start, providing a spark at the bottom of the order and matching Iglesias' output with three hits. After an MRI revealed no structural damage to his back, Lindor said that he anticipates returning to the lineup later this week, so Acuna may not have many more chances to build on Tuesday's excellent performance.
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Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Makes cameo off bench Saturday
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Acuna (foot) came off the bench and went 0-for-1 while playing four innings at shortstop Saturday in Triple-A Syracuse's 7-1 loss to Columbus.
Acuna was scratched from the lineup ahead of Thursday's game versus Columbus due to a foot injury, and while he has yet to return to the starting nine, his ability to enter the game off the bench Saturday suggests he'll avoid a trip to the 7-day injured list. The 22-year-old infielder is hitting .262/.311/.357 with five home runs and 31 stolen bases over 98 games with Syracuse this season.
Acuna will miss at least two weeks with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Acuna suffered the injury during High-A Hickory's season opener Friday. As long as the injury remains a fairly short-term problem, it shouldn't significantly set his development back this season.
