NEW YORK — It would be difficult to find a Mets player more in need of a significant hit than Starling Marte.
By the start of the eighth inning of Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader at Citi Field, Marte had completed 107 consecutive at-bats without an extra base hit — by far the longest streak of any active big league player. Earlier this season, Marte was suffering from a neck injury and more generally the aftermath of off-season groin surgery. Marte bore little resemblance to the player who received few votes for National League MVP last season. He appeared to be slower on the base paths, his range in the outfield was compromised, his power drained off the plate.
But for Marte, who contributed some multi-hit games earlier this month, things have changed lately. By the end of Sunday’s eighth inning, he played with enough confidence to hint at a breakout. Then he broke out. Marte hit Trevor Stephan into field with a two-run home run and led the Mets to a 5-4 win over the Guardians — their fourth straight win and their third from a dramatic deficit that stretch.
“We’re slowly approaching our goal,” Marte said through an interpreter.
“It’s the stuff that gets you going,” Scherzer said.
For nearly a week, the popular narrative at Citi Field revolved around the “Baby Mets” — a group of freshmen who appear to have produced a troubled roster. In the past few days, the veterans have been reminding everyone that they, too, have a vital role to play.
That group includes Alonso, Lindor, Jeff McNeil and most notably Marte, who is in the second season of a four-year, $78 million deal that will see him through his 36-year-old’s season. At his best, Marte has one of the most dynamic skills in baseball, as evidenced by his season of 16 home runs and 18 steals. But Marte has not been the same since he underwent surgery on both sides of his groin on November 1st. Although this operation usually requires a recovery period of six to eight months, Marte was fully operational again by mid-March. On the morning of May 9th, less than two weeks ago, he cut .213/.292/.278.
“He’s a very proud man,” said manager Buck Showalter. “Can you imagine having something like that? [skill] is available to you and for some reason you cannot access it? … At Starling, sometimes we have to think about what he’s been up to this offseason. It’s not just going to happen overnight.”
When asked how close he was to 100 percent physically, Marte disagreed, saying only that he felt “fine” and “won’t stop playing hard.” Showalter also declined to provide an estimate, though he did raise Marte’s injury history unprompted. In addition to his recovery from groin surgery, Marte struggled for much of the early part of the season with a stiff neck that made him uncomfortable turning to the pitcher.
The truth is that at the age of 34 and with this and other injuries in his recent past, Marte will rarely reach 100 percent again. Still, he’s as good a choice as anyone, despite all the pain and discomfort. In addition to hitting his first home run on Sunday, Marte amassed two singles, stole a base and threw out a runner trying to convert a single into a double.
“He wrestled with the record – everyone knows it,” said Scherzer. “But at some point he will break out. He’s too good a player not to.”