New York Mets lose breakout star to injury

SNY's cameras appeared to catch Baty grimacing during a first inning swing against Sandy Alcantara. The bottom of the frame saw Baty range to make a key play with a long throw to first to retire Marlins' DH Liam Hicks, which may have aggravated whatever occurred in the top of the inning.

Baty went to the tunnel after recording the final defensive out of the first and SNY cameras later caught Ronny Mauricio signaling for someone else to go check in on Baty. The Mets then removed Baty after they hit in the second, with Mauricio entering the game to replace Baty on defense at that point.

The Mets termed Baty's departure by saying he was dealing with right side soreness, which will likely require further imaging to determine the exact cause of the issue. It was notable that Mauricio was the choice to replace Baty over Mark Vientos, who was out of the starting lineup after Carlos Mendoza opted to have Francisco Alvarez serve as the designated hitter on Friday night.

How Brett Baty's Injury Could Impact The Mets

Losing Baty at this juncture of the season would be far from ideal, but it would provide a massive opportunity for Mauricio, who looked likely to be left off a potential playoff roster if the season ended today. The Mets have basically moth-balled Mauricio for the better part of a month, but he is a better defender than Vientos, which could give him a chance to reclaim some significant responsibility if Baty misses time.

There are definitely limitations to Mauricio's game, specifically his massive struggles against left-handed pitching, but he has shown the ability to deliver game-changing power if given an opportunity. The Mets would likely let Mauricio start at third the next two games with the Marlins throwing a trio of right-handed starters in the series, giving him some necessary reps to shake off his rust ahead of a huge opportunity to contribute in at least a Wild Card Series.