New York Mets activate outfielder from the IL

Siri, 30, fractured his left tibia on April 13 against the Athletics after fouling a ball off his leg. He gradually began ramping up baseball activities in May, but before he could begin a rehab assignment, imaging revealed that the bone had not healed as expected, forcing the Mets to shut him down again in early June.

On Aug. 27, the speedy outfielder began a minor league rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie and advanced to Triple-A Syracuse six days later. Over eight games between the two levels, Siri went 7-for-26 (.269) with one home run, two doubles, seven RBIs, and five runs scored.

Before the injury, Siri started eight of the Mets’ first 14 games in a center field platoon with Tyrone Taylor, batting 1-for-20 (.050) with eight strikeouts, four walks, and two stolen bases. New York acquired him in an offseason trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sending right-handed reliever Eric Orze in exchange.

Siri’s biggest strength is his defense. According to Statcast, he ranked second among center fielders with +16 Outs Above Average and was in the 99th percentile for speed in 2024. He appeared in a career-high 130 games last season, hitting .187/.255/.366 with 18 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases.

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While Siri was sidelined, New York addressed center field by acquiring Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline. The 2021 All-Star has had a slow start as a Met, batting .174/.284/.272 (.556) with one home run and eight RBIs through his first 30 games.

New York has a few weeks to figure out its ideal postseason lineup and bench. The right-handed hitting Siri will start in center field and bat ninth against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez on Tuesday, while the left-handed hitting Mullins begins the game on the bench.