Mets’ elite defensive outfielder goes down with leg injury

The Mets’ outfield depth took a hit Saturday afternoon when elite defensive center fielder Jose Siri exited the game after fouling a ball off his left leg. It was a painful moment — both physically and symbolically — as one of the team’s few defensive standouts went down, despite a rough start at the plate.

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Siri has been electric in the field and on the basepaths, but he’s offered very little with the bat so far. Entering Saturday, he was slashing just .050/.208/.100, making him one of the Mets’ least productive offensive players. But he still managed to score five runs and swipe two bags, thanks to his blazing speed and ability to pressure defenses even when he isn’t hitting.

Now, the Mets will be forced to lean on less-than-ideal options.

Tyrone Taylor Steps In With His Own Struggles

In Siri’s place, the Mets turned to 31-year-old outfielder Tyrone Taylor — but that swap hasn’t exactly sparked hope.

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Taylor has had a brutal start to the season in limited action, tallying just 26 plate appearances and posting a -13 wRC+. That stat alone paints the picture: he’s been 113% worse than the average major league hitter in his small sample size.

He’s shown some power and versatility in past seasons, but right now, Taylor isn’t offering much more than Siri offensively — and without the elite defense or the game-changing speed.

Defensive Loss More Painful Than the Bat

For the Mets, the bigger concern is losing Siri’s glove in center field. He has long been considered one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, capable of covering massive ground and turning doubles into outs with his reads and route-running.

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While the offense has been a black hole so far, his defensive presence gave the Mets stability up the middle — something that can’t be easily replaced. Now, they’ll need to patch the hole and hope someone steps up, even if it means sacrificing even more offense in the short term.

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