Mets' Ronny Mauricio optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

This is a big step for Mauricio, even though there is no rush to get him up to Queens. The Mets are notorious at this point for how deep their team is and he is another piece of that puzzle. The key for him will be staying versatile and getting as many reps as possible before he receives the call.

With the infield carousel of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Luisangel Acuna, Mauricio has been getting reps at nearly every infield position while he gets back to full health. In the minors, he has played three games at third and two games each at second and shortstop. He's also played a handful of games as a designated hitter.

The Mets will be eager to see what he can do while he is back in Triple-A, but president of baseball operations David Stearns is honest about the current plan.

"He’s a player who has options, so he’s going to stay in the minor leagues until we have a need," Stearns told reporters. "He’s still got, I think, a little ways to go to get – he’s a healthy player, but to get back into that true baseball shape, ready to compete art a high level at the big leagues, I think we’ve still got a little bit of a ways to go."

Manager Carlos Mendoza reiterated a similar sentiment, saying that Mauricio needs to get fully into the swing of things before he gets a chance in the big leagues again.

"[He has to get] used to playing every day without the restrictions, 'Hey, you're only playing five innings, you're only playing seven.' Just continue to play full games, continue to play back-to-back, three, four games in a row," Mendoza said. "And he's not there yet, so we got to get him there."

Even with a ways to go before his return, Mets fans should know that Mauricio is a piece that will almost definitely come into play. And with the injury bug being as unlucky as it has, a spot could open up for Ronny Mauricio to be welcomed back to Citi Field at some point this season.