USA TODAY Sports

There's good news on the injury front for New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte.

Per Mike Puma of the New York Post on social media:

The Mets are confident Starling Marte won’t need groin surgery this offseason, according to David Stearns.

Marte missed nearly the last two months of the season with a groin problem so not needing surgery points to him being ready and healthy for spring training.

The 35-year-old had a down year in 2023, hitting just .248 with five home runs and 28 RBI. Under the new rule changes, he did steal 24 bases.

Though he struggled this year, he has been a productive player for most of his 12-year career. He's a two-time All-Star, who made the National League All-Star team as recently as 2022.

He's played with the Pirates, A's, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Mets and is a lifetime .287 hitter. He's got 147 home runs and 338 steals on his resume.

If the Mets are going to turn around a fourth-place finish in the National League East in 2024, they are going to need to Marte to be much better, but they'll need several things to be better. As the team traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline, they acquired several young prospects. They'll be looking for them to develop in 2024 as well.

Marte is under contract through the 2025 season. He's set to make $39 million over the next two years, so it's unlikely that the Mets move him in a deal this offseason.

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