The New York Mets are set to take on the Boston Red Sox on Saturday in the second game of their series after falling 6-2 in Friday's opener.
The matchup is scheduled to begin at 4:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field in New York. However, the Mets have received another concerning update, as they will once again be without one of their key players for Saturday's game.
Bo Bichette remains unavailable again
Bo Bichette will not be in the lineup for the second game of the series against the Red Sox.
The 28-year-old will remain out of the lineup for a second straight game after not missing a single contest earlier this season until Friday.
In his absence, Brett Baty is expected to shift to third base, while Zack Short will take over duties at second, according to CBS Sports.
Mets manager explains absence
Mets interim manager Andy Green explained that the club felt it was the right time to give Bo Bichette a chance to "breathe for a couple games" ahead of the MLB All-Star break after the infielder had been dealing with soreness in his legs.
“In Atlanta, he fouled some balls off of his legs, kinda beat his legs up a little bit, played through a lot; the guy’s a warrior. Legs are just overall sore, got some right ankle soreness, as well, coupled with that,” Green said as per SNY report.
Green added that, although Bichette did not play in Friday's 6-2 defeat to Boston, he was available as a pinch-hit option and is expected to remain available off the bench again for Saturday's game.
{{/usCountry}}Green added that, although Bichette did not play in Friday's 6-2 defeat to Boston, he was available as a pinch-hit option and is expected to remain available off the bench again for Saturday's game.
{{/usCountry}}“It’s a day-to-day thing,” the Mets manager mentioned.He also praised Bichette's toughness and said, “If you saw the bruises on his legs, you’d realize just how tough this guy is.”
Mets eye Sunday's return
With the MLB All-Star break set to begin after the weekend, the Mets are opting not to take any unnecessary risks with Bichette's fitness.
The infielder has been in strong form at the plate, batting .309 (38-for-123) with five home runs and 19 RBIs across his last 30 games.
If his recovery continues to progress, he could return to the lineup for Sunday's final game before the break.