The Mets reinstated infielder Ronny Mauricio from the 10-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday after he completed a rehab assignment, the team announced.
Mauricio, who missed all of the 2024 season due to a torn ACL suffered during winter ball in December 2023, played 10 games with Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton during his rehab stint.
The 24-year-old recorded four hits over 32 at-bats, including two doubles. Defensively, he's seen action at 3B (three games), SS (two games), and 2B (two games), in addition to three games as DH.
President of baseball operations David Stearns spoke about the plan for Mauricio on Wednesday, noting that he will stay in the minors "until we have a need."
“Ronny continues to progress. He’s still in Double-A. We’ll get him up to Triple-A here pretty soon, and then it’s just play all three [positions] on the infield, continue to build up volume,” Stearns said. “He’s still got, I think, a little ways to go to get – he’s a healthy player, but to get back into that true baseball shape, ready to compete art a high level at the big leagues, I think we’ve still got a little bit of a ways to go. So, it’s continue to get him at-bats, continue to get him reps in the minor leagues.
“He’s a player who has options, so he’s going to stay in the minor leagues until we have a need.”
Over 26 major league games during the 2023 season, Mauricio hit .248 with two home runs and four doubles for nine RBI. He also stole seven bases.
Manager Carlos Mendoza also spoke about expectations for Mauricio on Saturday ahead of the team's game against the Yankees, saying that he needs to get reps at multiple positions across the infield.
"I think it's that, become a normal baseball player," Mendoza said. "Getting used to playing every day without the restrictions, 'Hey, you're only playing five innings, you're only playing seven.' Just continue to play full games, continue to play back-to-back, three, four games in a row. And he's not there yet, so we got to get him there.
"I think it's more getting every day at-bats, every day reps. And then we'll go from there."