Mets’ Luis Robert Jr. comes off injured list after missing almost three months

MILWAUKEE (AP) — New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has been activated from the injured list after missing nearly three months with a back issue.

The Mets announced the move before starting their three-game series at Milwaukee on Monday night. They optioned infielder Eric Wagaman to Triple-A Syracuse and sent infielder Zack Short outright to Syracuse.

Robert, 28, last played for the Mets on April 26 before going on the injured list with a lumbar spine disk herniation. He was in the starting lineup Monday and went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in an 8-3 loss to the Brewers.

“He’s going to be a part of the outfield mix,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said before the game. “I think realistically, two out of three days is probably what we’re looking at, at the outset here. We’ll get a couple of weeks down the road and decide what changes need to be made to that.”

Robert’s return gives the Mets more options in the outfield.

A.J. Ewing, who was getting much of the playing time in center field while Robert was hurt, started in right on Monday while five-time All-Star Juan Soto was in left. Carson Benge, who has made starts at all three outfield spots this season, wasn’t in the starting lineup.

Green said Robert will primarily play center field rather than moving all over the outfield.

“I think that’s where we’re at right now, in the short term,” Green said. “The other guys (in the outfield) have moved around a lot in their minor league career, so they’re comfortable playing other positions. He hasn’t. So on the fly in the middle of the season, you do factor in the comfort level of players, where they’ve played consistently.”

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The Mets acquired Robert in a January trade that sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley to the Chicago White Sox. The 2023 All-Star was batting .224 with a .327 on-base percentage, two homers, eight RBIs and two steals in 24 games this season before going on the injured list.

Wagaman was hitting .162 with a .262 on-base percentage, two homers and four RBIs in 21 games with the Mets.

Short went 1 for 14 in six games with the Mets, who claimed him off waivers from the Detroit Tigers last month. He hit .167 with a .304 on-base percentage, no homers and two RBIs in 23 games with Detroit.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb