New York Mets transfer Jesse Winker to 60-day IL

The move confirms the growing suspicion that Winker was far away from a return to the field. On Tuesday, Carlos Mendoza told reporters that the veteran slugger was "not doing much" in terms of activity after his July 8 injury.

Winker suffered an oblique strain in early May which put him out for 6-8 weeks. After a rehab stint, the 31-year-old injured his back in just his second game with the team since the prior injury.

Winker has played in just 26 games for the Mets this year, posting a slash line of .229/.309/.400 across 70 at-bats. When asked if he expects Winker to return this season, Mendoza said, "Yes. That's what the trainers are telling us."

But the rumors surrounding the Mets' aggressive trade deadline made it clear that the club was prepping for Winker's lengthy absence. The club was linked to other lefty sluggers like Brandon Lowe and Steven Kwan, and ended up adding one in outfielder Cedric Mullins.

Winker's move to the 60-day IL will keep him off the field until September at the earliest, but with the additional reinforcement of Mullins along with Starling Marte healthy and contributing, it wouldn't be surprising to see Winker's lingering injury keep him out the rest of the season.