Nightmare tailspin continues for Mets infielder with hand injury

New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nightmare tailspin continues for Mets infielder with hand injury

By Kevin Henry | Last updated Jul 9, 2026 5:45 PM ET

Two seasons ago seems like a lifetime ago for Mark Vientos of the New York Mets.

The 26-year-old Vientos seemed on the cusp of a true breakout after a 2024 season that saw him post a 134 OPS+ and smack 27 home runs. However, Vientos has struggled to come close to that offensive production since then, and a hand injury suffered on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals will keep Vientos on the shelf for what could be a significant amount of time.

Starting the game at third base, Vientos was hit by a Michael Wacha pitch in the bottom of the second inning. The injury was later diagnosed as a fractured bone in his right hand.

Interim manager Andy Green confirmed after the game that "it's going to be an IL placement" for Vientos and couldn't say if surgery would be a possibility to fix the fracture.

Andy Green announces that Mark Vientos is heading to the IL after suffering a hand fracture pic.twitter.com/6YC7LWora8
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 9, 2026

Mark Vientos was already having a difficult season

This season, Vientos was slashing .211/.253/.388 in 253 plate appearances, resulting in a .641 OPS. That's down from last season's .702 OPS, which is a drop from his .837 OPS in 2024.

The downhill slide of Vientos is not only worrisome, but adding questions to what his future might be in Queens. He has played 60 games for the Mets this season at first base but has struggled mightily there. His minus-seven Outs Above Average and MLB-high seven errors at the position is showing the position experiment isn't working.

However, the Mets are starting to run out of options for Vientos. With his struggles at the plate and in the field, Jared Young has been receiving more innings at first base. Meanwhile, Bo Bichette and Brett Baty have given the Mets options at third base.

Vientos isn't scheduled to become a free agent until 2030, so the Mets will have to decide his future path once he returns from injury. The roster could look different as well while Vientos is out, with Ronny Mauricio "the most obvious candidate" to take Vientos' roster spot, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

Additionally, DiComo reminds readers that the Mets infield will welcome back Marcus Semien from a left hip flexor strain in late July or early August.

There are plenty of factors working against Vientos as he and the Mets figure out next steps from an injury that continues a nightmare season for him in Queens.

Kevin Henry

A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Kevin Henry has been covering MLB and MiLB for nearly two decades. Those assignments have included All-Star Games and the MLB postseason, including the World Series. Based in the Denver area, Kevin calls Coors Field his home base, but travels throughout North America during the season to discover the best stories possible

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