Jorge Polanco remains sidelined with an Achilles injury, and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns admits the situation is “tricky,” adding the club can’t say conclusively when the infielder will return—potentially before the All-Star break start
For the New York Mets, the hardest part of the injury calendar isn’t just the games it costs—it’s the uncertainty that lingers after the workouts start. That’s the reality around Jorge Polanco, still working his way back from an Achilles injury, with the next checkpoint looming but no guarantee.
On Tuesday. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns addressed the status of Polanco after a reporter asked whether there was a chance the infielder could return before the All-Star break. which begins on July 13. Stearns didn’t promise a date, but he did confirm what the team has been holding onto.
“Yeah, certainly our plan and belief is yes,” Stearns said, via SNY Mets. “This has clearly been a tricky one, and so I think until he’s back on the field at the major league level, it’s going to be tough for any of us to say conclusively exactly what’s gonna happen here.”
Polanco’s timeline has been framed that way by the Mets—hoping for the best, but treating each step of the recovery as something that still needs to prove itself at the major league level.
That caution echoes comments from manager Carlos Mendoza, who spoke about Polanco’s progress on Saturday and described it as a swing-and-recover pattern rather than a straight climb back. Mendoza said Polanco was still hitting and ran the bases, but that the day-to-day changes matter.
“He’s still hitting, he ran the bases today, but going back to three, four weeks ago, there’s days where he feels good, and then it flares up again, and we have to slow things down,” Mendoza said, per SNY Mets.
The Mets’ waiting game is more than a waiting game for fans—it’s a reminder of how unpredictable an Achilles recovery can be. even when the steps forward look real on the calendar. Polanco has been close enough to work out and take action on the field. but his return keeps depending on whether those “flare” days stay controlled.
When Polanco does come back, the Mets will be looking for production quickly, even if the numbers only hint at what’s ahead. With the Mets, Polanco has recorded a .179 batting average with one home run and two RBIs in 14 games, and it remains to be seen when he will officially return to the lineup.
Right now. everything circles back to Stearns’ point: until Polanco is back on the field at the major league level. the Mets can’t turn hope into certainty. For a team managing multiple injuries. that kind of truth is difficult—but it’s the one they’re living with as the All-Star break approaches on July 13.
New York Mets Jorge Polanco Achilles injury David Stearns Carlos Mendoza All-Star break July 13 MLB injury update
Achilles injuries are the worst. Dude might be done for the whole season.
They keep saying “tricky” like that helps? If he’s running and hitting then why can’t they just put him in. All-Star break is like a week away in baseball time.
So his Achilles is “flaring up again” which sounds like he’s not even close. I feel like Stearns is just covering himself so they don’t have to answer later when he’s still out.
I swear Achilles stuff always takes longer than people think. They said before it was like 6 weeks and now it’s all “checkpoint” and “tough to say.” Mets are gonna wait and then he returns and hits .179 again anyway lol.