LOS ANGELES -- The New York Mets placed third baseman Mark Vientos on the injured list with a right hamstring strain and called up former top prospect Ronny Mauricio on Tuesday.
The Mets also optioned right-hander Max Kranick to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled left-hander Brandon Waddell ahead of their second game of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Vientos hurt his hamstring when he tripped and fell running down the first-base line as a pinch hitter in Monday's extra-inning win over the Dodgers. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Vientos is scheduled to fly back to New York on Tuesday night and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
"We'll see what we're dealing with," Mendoza said. "We know it's a strain, for sure. Now we just gotta wait for the MRI and see what type of grade."
A breakout star in 2024, Vientos has regressed offensively and defensively this season. He is batting .230 with six home runs and a .678 OPS in 53 games after clubbing 27 home runs with an .837 OPS in 111 games last season. The 25-year-old Vientos' defensive struggles -- advanced metrics suggest he's been one of the worst third basemen in the majors this season -- prompted the Mets to have him start more games as the designated hitter with Brett Baty at third base.
Mauricio, 24, returns to the big leagues after making his debut with the Mets as a September call-up in 2023 when he batted .248 with two home runs, seven steals and a .643 OPS across 26 games. The infielder, who signed out of the Dominican Republic for $2.1 million in 2017, tore the ACL in his right knee playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic and underwent a second knee operation last summer to remove scar tissue in the knee, further delaying his return to action. He will bat seventh and play third base for his season debut Tuesday.
The Mets were cautious with Mauricio this spring, delaying his return to live games until late April. He played in five games in Low-A before moving to Double-A for a week in mid-May and joining Triple-A Syracuse on May 18. The switch-hitting Mauricio raked with Syracuse, batting .515 with three home runs, four steals in five attempts and a 1.382 OPS in 39 plate appearances across nine games.
"I think the fact that I've already played in the minor leagues, I've already had success in the minor leagues, the fact that I've been there and experienced it, I think that's why I was able to have the success I had when I went back," Mauricio said through an interpreter.
Mauricio played second base and third base for Syracuse but didn't play full nine-inning games at third base on consecutive days. He also played shortstop in two games at Low-A. He primarily played second and third base for the Mets in 2023, though he also started two games at shortstop.
Mendoza said Mauricio will see time at third base, second base and designated hitter. With Vientos on the injured list, Mauricio figures to split time at third base with Baty and could start games at DH.
"He's a good player," Mendoza said. "He's very talented. We know there's skills there. But we have to be patient with him. Yeah, he had some really good results. It was a long process for him. We really took the time. We thought we were going to give him some opportunities in spring training and that didn't happen. The whole progression and all that.
"Very talented player and I'm not surprised by the success that he was having in very few at-bats that he had in the minor leagues."