Once Travis Jankowski returned from the IL on July 11, it was only a matter of time before another veteran outfielder lost his roster spot.
Although Ender Inciarte remained with the Mets for their entire series against his former team in the Atlanta Braves earlier in the week, he was designated for assignment on Thursday when Jeff McNeil was activated off the paternity list.
Inciarte, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in the offseason, spending 34 games with their Triple A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He exercised an opt out in his deal in June to seek out other opportunities where he might get a shot in the majors at some point. Inciarte quickly signed a minor league deal with the Mets on June 20, and was called up eight days later. Now, he could be looking for a new home once more.
If Inciarte goes unclaimed on waivers, he can either return to Triple A Syracuse until the Mets have another potential opening on the big-league roster, or elect free agency to search for an external opportunity.
Inciarte won three straight Gold Glove Awards with the Braves from 2016 to 2018. But while he still has strong defensive skills, he did not provide enough offense to justify keeping him on the same roster as Jankowski, who holds a similar skillset.
In 11 games with the Mets, Inciarte went 1-for-8 with a run scored.
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