Mets' Top Prospect's Season in Jeopardy After Suffering Brutal Injury

This Met prospect suffered an injury that could potentially end his season.

May 29, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third base Brett Baty (22) hits a single in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets will likely not see one of their top prospects for the rest of the year.

Infielder Brett Baty, who has been with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets since June 10, was removed from Thursday's game after being hit by a pitch on his left hand; the team later announced that the 24-year-old sustained a fractured index finger upon being hit, and will be out between four to six weeks.

The Mets have announced that Brett Baty has suffered a fractured index finger and the typical return-to-play timeline is 4-6 weeks.

Baty was removed from Thursday's Triple-A game after being hit on a check swing and has not played since. pic.twitter.com/C2x0TCW8MU

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 25, 2024

With the Triple-A season ending on September 22, Baty's season could be over if he doesn't recover in four weeks.

This is a truly unfortunate scenario for Baty and the Mets, as the infielder was widely expected to be called up to the big leagues once rosters are expanded on September 1. The 24-year-old was hitting .261/.358/.528 with 10 doubles, 16 home runs, and 43 RBI, while seeing time at both second and third base; this production and positional versatility could have given him a valuable bench role in the last month of the season.

Baty has struggled greatly at the major league level in his career, with a .215/.282/.325 slash line, 72 wRC+, and -0.1 fWAR; this year, he played 50 games in the big leagues and hit just .229/.306/.327 for an 84 wRC+ before being sent down to the minors. Nonetheless, with the promise he's shown this year in Triple-A, Baty's next step was to be in the majors full time, even if it would be in a bench role.

The Mets currently have a 68-62 record and are just two games out of a playoff spot, putting them in an ideal position before roster expansions. However, the loss of Baty, presumably for the season, takes away what could have been an impact call-up to aid their postseason push.